Students Forced to Remove Burqas at Mumbai Exam Center

Mumbai, 23 February – (www.deccanlive.com): In Mumbai’s Rafiq Nagar, at Jafri English High School, on the first day of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams, several female students were told they had to take off their hijabs before entering the exam hall.

This incident caused anger among the students and their families, who claimed that these actions caused unnecessary stress and discomfort. According to eyewitnesses, the students wearing burqas were initially stopped at the school gate and asked to remove their outer clothing.

An SSC student explained that at the school gate, they were first asked to take off their burqas. When they objected, they were allowed to enter wearing them. However, later, in a separate room, they were forced to remove their burqas before going to the exam block.

We were searched, and only after that were we allowed to take the exam. After entering the exam block, we were also asked to remove the scarves from our ears. This was humiliating and painful,” said another student, expressing her disappointment. “We told the officials that in the past, we were allowed to wear burqas during exams, so why are we being forced to remove them now?”

“You have to remove your burqa and take the exam.” This caused a lot of mental stress, but we tried to stay focused and complete the paper. However, the school administration defended these actions, citing security concerns.

Saba Rizvi, the principal and secretary of Jafri English High School, explained, “These complaints are baseless.” Last year, a student was caught with headphones hidden in her scarf, which caused a significant issue for the school. As a precaution, we have now asked female students to temporarily remove their burqas and scarves for checking. After the check, they were allowed to wear them again during the exam.”