Washington, Sep 25 - Sikh students enrolled in 61 schools run by the National Heritage Academies in the US have been allowed to carry a 'Kirpan', a symbol of their faith, subject to certain restrictions.

The National Heritage Academies (NHA), which runs its schools in the states of Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, New York, North Carolina and Ohio, has allowed Sikh students to carry a 'Kirpan' in the institutions, said a statement issued by the United Sikhs, a Sikh advocacy group.

It all started when Sukhmeet Kaur, a Sikh student in the 8th grade, was ordered by school authorities to remove her 'Kirpan' during school hours or not to come to school at all.

After being approached by her father Gobinder Singh, the United Sikhs' legal team wrote to the school, the Endeavour Charter Academy at Springfield in Michigan.