Karnataka: Lecturer resigns after colleges asks her to remove hijab

News Network

February 18, 2022

Tumakuru, Feb 18: A lecturer of a private college in Tumakuru district of Karnataka resigned after she was requested to remove hijab.

Chandini Naz, who worked at the Jain PU College in the district for more than three years, was told to remove the hijab before entering into the classroom.

In her resignation letter, dated February 16, she said "right to religion is a constitutional right that nobody can deny."

"As I have addressed above, I Chandini, lecturer, department of English, resigning from my position of English subject, as you demanded me to remove my hijab which I have been wearing for three years in your college. The right to religion is a constitutional right that nobody can deny. Thank you. I condemn your undemocratic act (sic),” the letter read.

According to media reports, she said she hasn't faced any problem so far for wearing hijab. "But yesterday, the principal told me that I can't wear hijab or any religious symbol while teaching. But I have taught for the last three years wearing hijab. This new decision is a hit to my self-respect," she said.

Principle of the college, K.T. Manjunath, after the interim High Court order, the college authorities requested her not to wear hijab in the class room. She chose to resign instead.

Manjunath reasoned that if a teacher is allowed to wear hijab, the students will demand that they too should be allowed to do it.

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Hijab is dress of Muslim women and should be permitted.should not be used for illegal activities like concealing

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RuTAGe smart village centres in DK, Udupi to being technology closer to rural communities

News Network

January 20,2026

Mangaluru: In a major step towards strengthening rural innovation, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India is supporting the establishment of RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across the country through collaborations with academic institutions, civil society organisations and philanthropic partners.

As part of this national initiative, Nitte (Deemed to be University) will set up the first RSVCs in the region at Nitte GP in Udupi district and at the Nitte Health Centre, Sevanjali Trust, Farangipete, in Dakshina Kannada district. The centres will be inaugurated on January 21. In South India, the programme is being implemented by the Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, SI-8 founder-director Vishwas US said experts from Nitte University and SI-8 would work closely with farmers, students, youth and local entrepreneurs to adapt and deploy technologies tailored to local needs.

Project head Prof Iddya Karunasagar, representing Nitte DU, said the RSVCs at Nitte and Farangipete would serve as demonstration hubs for a wide range of agriculture, energy, skill-development and assistive technologies. These include solar dryers for fruits, vegetables and crops; soil-testing solutions; power weeders and women-friendly farm tools; wind-powered devices for rural artisans; grain storage systems; grass-cutting and tree-climbing equipment; and liquid fertiliser production using cowshed waste.

SI-8 CEO Aravind C Kumar said the centres would also provide access to digital and knowledge-based platforms such as ISRO applications, government scheme portals, market linkage tools and gamified learning resources, along with assistive technologies for persons with visual impairments.

Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood said it demonstrated how applied research could bridge the rural–urban divide and help create self-reliant, technology-enabled villages.

The initiative has been made possible through philanthropic support from Dr NC Murthy of ACM Business Solutions, LLC, USA. Dr Sapna Poti, Director (Strategic Alliances) at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, said the long-term objective is to build self-sufficient, technology-driven communities capable of generating sustainable livelihoods on their own.

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