Says there was a misunderstanding among students
Tamil Nadu: Days after Kashmiri students studying at the College of Nursing, Government Chengalpattu Medical College, Tamil Nadu, complained that around two dozen of them were compelled to shave their beards, the state Health Minister Ma Subramanian has on Wednesday clarified that there was a misunderstanding among students.
The confusion arose from a general directive by the college principal, applicable to all students, requiring them to be clean-shaven during examinations.
The clarification follows a complaint by the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, which sought Chief Minister MK Stalin’s intervention through a social media petition.
The association claimed that approximately two dozen students from Jammu and Kashmir were forced to shave their beards, asserting that this violated their fundamental rights and raised concerns about inclusivity and diversity.
Minister Subramanian addressed the media, stating that the issue had been resolved, and the students had expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister.
Following the social media post, health secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi conducted an inquiry with the principal, who confirmed that the directive applied to all students. Subramanian said there is a need for medical colleges to be cautious when issuing instructions to avoid misunderstandings.
“Students from different parts of the country come here to study under the All India Quota seats, nobody should interfere in their food habits, clothes, culture, tradition and their religion,” Subramanian said.
