Bhavani Mala or classroom? Parents protest after Hyderabad students are denied special classes

For a group of Class 10 students, attending special classes during the Dussehra holidays turned into a dispute over religious attire. Their parents alleged that Sainik School in Maruthi Nagar, Champapet, barred the students from attending classes because they were wearing the Bhavani Mala.

The incident triggered a protest outside the school on Monday, with parents demanding that the students be allowed to continue their studies without being asked to remove the sacred mala they wear while observing Bhavani Deeksha.

According to the police, the school had arranged special classes during the vacation for students who needed additional academic support. When some students arrived wearing the mala and traditional attire, a teacher, identified as Pushpalatha, questioned them about their dress, police said.

The students informed their parents, who then arrived at the school and confronted the management. The disagreement drew other people to the premises, including members of outside organisations. The parents lodged a complaint with the police.

According to the police, the management maintained that burqas and traditional attire were not permitted on the school campus. It was not immediately clear whether the school had a written rule specifically addressing religious observances or how the dress code was applied in this instance.

The dispute raises a question that extends beyond one school gate: how should schools apply uniform rules when students seek to observe a religious practice while continuing their education?

The controversy also drew attention to the role of the teacher. Deccan Chronicle reported that Pushpalatha was suspended in connection with the incident. Police said a complaint had been received and a case relating to allegedly hurting religious sentiments had been registered. The allegations and the circumstances surrounding the incident remain subject to verification.

Religious attire and school uniform rules

Schools in several states have faced disputes over religious attire, including hijabs, tilak, bindi and sacred malas. These disagreements have prompted protests, administrative inquiries and legal challenges.

In October 2025, a school in Gollapudi, Vijayawada, faced protests after a Class 5 student observing Ayyappa Deeksha was reportedly sent home for wearing the mala and associated attire. The school later apologised, according to The Times of India.

In Suryapet, Telangana, devotees protested in November 2025 over allegations that a student wearing an Ayyappa mala had been harassed and restricted from participating in classes. Another reported dispute in Metpally, Telangana, involved students wearing Hanuman malas who were allegedly denied entry to a private school.

Disagreements over hijabs have also reached education authorities and courts. In Kerala, a dispute between a school and the family of a student seeking permission to wear a hijab alongside the prescribed uniform prompted an education department inquiry and proceedings in the Kerala High Court.

The circumstances and outcomes of these cases differ. Media reports do not establish whether such disputes are becoming more frequent across India, but they show how school dress codes can become contentious when uniform requirements meet religious observances.

In Champapet, questions remain about whether the students were explicitly asked to remove their malas, what the school's dress code says about religious attire, and whether the rules are applied consistently. A response from the school management and any findings by education authorities will help establish what happened.

For the parents who gathered outside the school, the immediate concern was their children's access to special classes. The dispute has now put the school's rules on religious attire under scrutiny.