Mitali Palnitkar
Published On: February 13, 2022 at 13:23 IST
A Law student approached the Supreme Court and sought to direct the Centre and States to strictly implement Common Dress Code in registered and State recognized educational institutions.
The direction was sought in the backdrop of protests against the Hijab Ban in colleges in Karnataka in Order to secure social equality, assure dignity and promote fraternity, unity and national integration.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Nikhil Upadhyay through Advocate Ashwini Kumar Dubey. The PIL sought to direct the Centre to constitute a Judicial Commission for suggesting measures to inculcate the values of socio-economic justice, socialism, secularism and democracy.
The PIL stated that the Education Institutions are secular public places which impart knowledge and wisdom employment, and contribute towards nation building; they are not meant to follow essential and non-essential religious practices.
The Plea also sought to direct the Law Commission of India to prepare a report within 3 months suggesting measures for securing social equality and promoting fraternity, dignity, unity, and national integration.
The Petitioner emphasized that it was necessary to introduce Common Dress Code in all schools and colleges so as to preserve secularism in educational institutions.
The Petitioner added that Common Dress Code was quite essential to curtail the menace of classism, casteism, communalism, separatism, radicalism, and fundamentalism.
It was suggested that Common Dress Code would bring homogeneity and equality. Therefore, it is essential to have a Common Dress Code in educational institutions to prevent discrimination.