A Muslim nursing student in India’s western state of Gujarat has reported facing discriminatory treatment after being temporarily prevented from sitting an examination due to what he described as a fabricated rule targeting his religious appearance. The incident has renewed concerns about the growing marginalisation of Muslim students within India’s education system.
Abubakr Siddique, a student at a government-affiliated nursing college, said he was stopped from entering his viva examination on 23 December, despite complying with the official dress requirements. Examiners reportedly told him he was not permitted to sit the exam because he maintained a beard, which he explained was kept for religious reasons.
According to Siddique, his explanation was dismissed, and examiners refused to provide any written policy to justify their decision. He pointed out that the Gujarat Nursing Council, the statutory body overseeing nursing education, has no regulation prohibiting beards. He even offered to accept a deduction in grooming marks if required, but said he was still denied entry.
Siddique noted that the nursing council had previously intervened in similar cases, issuing notices to institutions and seeking apologies following student complaints. Despite this, he said such discriminatory practices continue at the college level.
After nearly two hours and intervention by senior staff, Siddique was eventually allowed to take the exam. However, he said the experience had already taken a toll on his mental state and ability to perform.
An oral examination requires focus and clarity, he explained, but being spoken to disrespectfully and subjected to prolonged stress left him exhausted. He added that such incidents are not isolated, stating that Muslim students have faced similar humiliation for years, often after months of serious preparation.
The college administration did not respond to requests for comment.
Discrimination against hijab-wearing women
Siddique also raised concerns about the treatment of Muslim women students, saying those who wear hijab face comparable pressure and exclusion. He said some women feel compelled to remove their head covering out of fear of being barred from exams, while others are asked to uncover themselves in public settings, causing emotional distress.
He added that many Muslim male students now attend examinations clean-shaven out of fear of losing marks or being denied entry altogether, a pattern reported in other parts of Gujarat as well.
In a separate incident on 24 December, a Muslim woman named Jenisha Shah said she was prevented from sitting a Railway Recruitment Board examination at a private centre after refusing to remove her burkha and hijab. After prolonged arguments with staff, she said she was forced to leave without being examined.
Shah said she repeatedly asked staff to conduct proper security checks and to show any written rule banning hijab, but none was provided. She alleged that she was mocked for questioning the decision and told that Muslims were the only ones who “argue”, and that she should avoid exams if she wished to observe hijab.
She stressed that wearing hijab is a religious obligation she cannot abandon, particularly in front of men, and questioned the sincerity of government campaigns promoting girls’ education when Muslim women are denied basic access to examinations.
Another Muslim woman, Nida Sheikh, said she has faced repeated obstacles in both education and employment because she wears hijab. She recalled being forced to leave a clerical recruitment exam after being spoken to rudely and ordered to remove her head covering.
Sheikh also described harassment during her college years, including intimidation by classmates chanting Hindu nationalist slogans, leaving lasting fear and trauma.
Broader concerns
Activists and rights advocates say these incidents reflect a wider pattern of discrimination, where visible expressions of Muslim identity are treated as barriers rather than protected rights. They warn that denying young people access to education and employment on the basis of faith has long-term consequences, affecting families and entire communities.
Legal experts have pointed out that India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and equality before the law, raising serious questions about how these principles are applied within educational and institutional settings.
Muslim organisations and rights groups continue to call for accountability, respect for religious freedoms, and the protection of students from discriminatory practices that undermine dignity, opportunity, and justice.
