A Kanpur school’s ban on niqab-wearing parents during a PTA meeting has stirred outrage. Is the UP government ignoring discrimination in its institutions?

A storm is brewing in Kanpur after a private school, New Vision Inter College, stopped Muslim parents wearing niqabs from attending a parent-teacher meeting on September 27. The move has sparked outrage and raised uncomfortable questions: Are schools turning into spaces of exclusion? And is the Uttar Pradesh government doing enough to safeguard minority rights?

Parents recounted being told bluntly, “Remove the niqab, only after that you can go inside.” Offended by this diktat, many argued that while schools can prescribe uniforms for students, they have no authority to impose a dress code on parents. Several were forced to wait outside, denied the chance to discuss their children’s education.

The school principal, however, claimed parents were “politely informed” beforehand and blamed a few for disrupting the meeting. Yet, eyewitness accounts suggest the standoff escalated only after teachers insisted parents shed their attire — an action that many considered degrading. Police had to be called to restore calm, though no formal complaint was lodged.

At its core, the controversy points to a larger problem: the erosion of trust between communities and institutions. By failing to intervene decisively, the UP government risks normalizing discriminatory practices in schools. For families, the message is clear — when dignity is compromised at the school gate, education takes a back seat.