The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday (7th July) took cognisance of a complaint, which highlighted how Hindu students at Uttaranchal Post Graduate College, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, are facing religious discrimination by being prohibited from wearing Hindu religious symbols like Bindi, Tilak and Kalawa.
The complaint filed on 2nd July, 2026, stated that Hindu students wearing any of these symbols are marked absent, their religious symbols are forcibly removed, and they are photographed for disciplinary action. On the contrary, Muslim students are permitted to wear burqas. According to Hinduphobia Tracker, this was done on the instructions of the college principal, Alphonsa Mathew. The complaint had urged the NHRC to intervene and demanded an independent inquiry into the matter and disciplinary/legal action against the responsible officials.
Responding to the complaint, the NHRC directed the Registry to issue a notice to the Chairman, University Grants Commission, Delhi, the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Government of Uttarakhand, the Secretary, Medical Education, Uttarakhand, the Principal, Uttaranchal (P.G.) College of Bio-Medical Sciences & Hospital, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, the District Magistrate and the SSP, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, directing them to get an inquiry conducted into the allegations and submit an Action Taken Report within two weeks to the Commission.
The complainant sought the intervention of the Commission in the matter, as such practices were said to violate equality, freedom of conscience, dignity, and therefore the complainant prayed for an independent inquiry, reports to be called from the Government of Uttarakhand, and the college management, protection of students against retaliation or harassment, examination of discriminatory policies, disciplinary/legal action against responsible officials, and framing of transparent, non-discriminatory guidelines on religious expression consistent with the Constitution and regulatory norms.
