Overview
- The church-run St Rita’s Public School reopened after a two-day closure with heavy police deployment, while the Class 8 student stayed home citing health reasons.
- General Education Minister V. Sivankutty directed the school to let the student attend classes wearing a headscarf, allowing the institution to set its colour and design, and demanded a report by 11 a.m. Wednesday.
- The Ernakulam Deputy Director of Education’s probe cited “serious lapses,” calling the student’s removal a violation of the Right to Education Act and of constitutional religious freedom.
- Local mediation led the girl’s father to say he would follow the school’s uniform code, creating uncertainty over implementation as the PTA said it had not received a formal order.
- The principal disputed the inquiry findings and signalled possible legal action, even as the Kerala High Court maintained interim police protection for the school with the next hearing listed for November 10.