Kerala child rights panel calls for gender-inclusive school rules on hair length

Kerala's state child rights panel has issued directives for schools to adopt gender-inclusive policies on student appearance. The panel stated that boys and gender-nonconforming children must be allowed to choose their own hair length and cannot face discrimination or punishment based on these choices.

The move aims to ensure schools do not enforce grooming norms that disproportionately affect certain groups of students. The panel's directive seeks to align school policies with principles of child rights and non-discrimination.