PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 24 -- Observing that wearing a headscarf (hijab) is not an essential part of Islamic faith, the Allahabad high court dismissed a petition seeking direction to school authorities to allow a girl student to wear it in addition to the uniform.

The bench comprising Justice JJ Munir and Justice Indrajeet Shukla dismissed the petition filed by a student of a private school in Prayagraj. The girl had passed her high school and sought admission to Class XI in the same institution. She moved the high court through her mother, asking direction to the school authorities to permit the petitioner to wear a hijab.

The court observed, "We have perused the photographs from various classes relating to the petitioner. Except for her, no o...