Allahabad High Court: Headscarf not established as essential religious practice in Islam

The Allahabad High Court held that wearing a headscarf has not been established as an essential religious practice for women in Islam. A Division Bench of Justices J.J. Munir and Indrajeet Shukla dismissed a petition by a Class 11 Muslim student of Tagore Public School in Prayagraj on August 21, 2026, with the order becoming public around August 25.

The student had sought permission to wear a hijab along with the school uniform, arguing protection under Articles 14 and 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. She stated she had worn it from Class 6 without objection until the recent dispute.

The bench examined the essential religious practice doctrine and concluded that the headscarf claim did not meet the threshold required for constitutional protection in this context. The petition was therefore dismissed.

The ruling adds to a series of high court decisions across states that have applied the essential practices test to questions of religious attire in educational institutions. Courts have generally required clear scriptural or authoritative evidence that a practice is fundamental to the religion rather than optional or customary.

School authorities had maintained that the uniform code applied uniformly. The student and her counsel argued that the restriction violated equality and freedom of expression. The High Court rejected those contentions on the facts and law presented.