Upset over the Karnataka High Court’s judgement prohibiting the wearing of hijab in classrooms, as many as 40 students from Karnataka’s Udupi district abstained from their first pre-university exams on Tuesday.

The students opted not to take the exam without wearing the headscarf because they were offended by the March 15 order.

On March 15, the Karnataka High Court dismissed petitions requesting permission to wear hijab in the classroom. The High Court stated that wearing a headscarf is not an important religious practice in the Islamic religion and a uniform dress code should be followed in educational institutions where it is mandated.

24 girl students from Kundapur, 14 from Byndoor, and 2 from Udupi Government Girls PU college skipped the exams on Tuesday because they are involved in a court battle over the wearing of hijab in classes. The girls have previously boycotted practical exams as well.

On March 24, the Supreme Court refused to consider the petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court’s decision. However, the students, on the other hand, intend to wait until the Supreme Court gives an order