Woman claims official asked her to remove hijab at Gujarat Railway exam centre

A Muslim woman who travelled to Gujarat to take a railway recruitment examination has alleged that she was instructed to remove her hijab before being allowed into the exam centre. She has claimed that the demand was made openly and in the presence of male staff.

In a video that has circulated widely on social media, the candidate says she was stopped at the entrance and informed by examination personnel that she would not be permitted to appear for the test unless she removed her headscarf. She has said this took place in front of male personnel, which she described as deeply humiliating and distressing, Maktoob Media reported.

According to her account, when she objected to the instruction and approached police officers deployed at the centre, her concerns were not addressed. She has alleged that a female police officer told her to comply with the staff’s instructions and remove the hijab.

The woman has described the incident as a violation of her dignity, privacy and right to freely practise her religion. She said she was placed in a situation where she had to choose between her faith and her opportunity to sit for a competitive examination for which she had prepared extensively and travelled from another state.

In the video, she is heard saying that the issue goes beyond her individual experience and reflects broader concerns about the rights of Muslim women and religious freedom. She has also indicated that she plans to take legal action against the examination authorities.

The allegations have sparked strong reactions online, with activists and civil liberties groups questioning whether the exam centre followed established guidelines. Existing instructions issued by various examination bodies permit religious attire such as the hijab, subject to reasonable security checks, and advise that any verification should be carried out by female staff in private.

So far, neither the railway recruitment authorities nor the Gujarat police have issued an official response to the allegations. Following the spread of the video, calls for a formal inquiry into the incident have grown, with the woman expressing hope that her case will help prevent similar treatment of candidates in the future.