ORDER :

1. All these writ petitions essentially seek to lay a challenge to the insistence of certain educational institutions that no girl student shall wear the hijab (headscarf) whilst in the classrooms. Some of these petitions call in question the Government Order dated 05.02.2022 issued under sections 7 & 133 of the Karnataka Education Act, 1983. This order directs the College Development Committees all over the State to prescribe 'Student Uniform', presumably in terms of Rule 11 of Karnataka Educational Institutions (Classification, Regulation & Prescription of Curricula, etc.) Rules, 1995.

2. A Single Judge (Krishna S Dixit J) vide order dated 09.02.2022 i.e., yesterday, has referred these cases to Hon'ble the Chief Justice to consider if these matters can be heard by a Larger Bench 'regard being had to enormous public importance of the questions involved'. Accordingly, this Special Bench comprising of three Judges has immediately been constituted and these cases are taken up for consideration.

3. We have heard the learned Senior Advocates Mr.Sanjay Hegde & Mr. Devadatt Kamat appearing for the petitioners respectively in W.P.No.2146/2022 & W.P.No.2880/2022 for some time. Learned