Jamia Islamia student barred from exam for wearing hijab, incident evokes criticism

Umaiyah Khan has written to the UGC about the incident.

NEW DELHI: A student of Jamia Islamia University, currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration (MBA), was allegedly barred from appearing in the exam for wearing hijab. 

According to news agency ANI, Umaiyah Khan, a student of Jamia Islamia University, alleged that she was not allowed to appear for University Grants Commission - National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) exam for wearing hijab.

Narrating the incident to ANI, Khan said, "I went for NET exam last week in Rohini area. I reached the exam centre but did not get the permission to sit for the exam and the reason was hijab. Both male and female invigilators did not allow me to sit for the exam. I even requested the senior officials but was not allowed."

Khan further said, "I have shown all my identities. Yet, they ordered that I remove my hijab then sit for the exam. I cannot do that because this is my religion, I cannot remove it. I requested them to allow me but they did not let me."

Umayya Khan, a student appearing for UGC NET who was not allowed to wear hijab for the exam: They asked me to take off my hijab, despite me telling them they could frisk me privately. I asked them to show me the guidelines yet I wasn't allowed to write the exam. pic.twitter.com/xN2GgC1Zza

— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2018

The student said that she has now written an email to the UGC about the incident. 

"If I don`t get any reply I will seek legal advice in the matter," she added.

Expressing his anger over the incident Khan`s brother Mohd Zaheed Afzal said, "This is not happening with Umaiayah only, this has been done with many other girls. We Muslims are already backward in terms of higher education and when we get such opportunities we are treated like this. I strongly condemn this. This has happened not only in Delhi, but similar cases were also reported from Goa and other states."

Meanwhile, a senior professor from the university too condemned the incident and said that taking away the "right to appear for an exam just because one practices a particular religion cannot be done."

"I condemn this unfortunate incident. Education and appearing for an exam is every student`s right. You cannot take that right because he or she is practicing a particular religion," Prof Amirul Hasan Ansari, Director of Management Studies, Jamia Islamia University. 

(With ANI Inputs)