The Supreme Court has partially stayed a circular issued by a private college in Mumbai that prohibited students from wearing religious attire, including hijabs, burqas, caps, and naqabs, on campus. The court emphasized that students should have the freedom to choose their clothing.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar issued a notice to the Chembur Trombay Education Society, which operates NG Acharya and DK Marathe College, requiring a response by November 18. The court questioned why the college did not ban other religious symbols like 'tilak' and 'bindi' if the goal was to prevent the expression of religious identity.

The interim order allows students to wear their preferred attire but specifies that burqas should not be worn inside classrooms, and no religious activities should occur on campus. The college has the option to return to court if there is any misuse of this interim ruling.

The petitioners, a group of female Muslim students, challenged a previous Bombay High Court decision that upheld the college’s dress code. Their lawyers argued that over 400 students who regularly wear hijabs have been unable to attend classes due to the college’s ban. The Supreme Court's ruling highlighted that educational institutions should not impose dress codes that restrict students' freedom of choice in matters of attire.