Kashmiri students in Karnataka allege college forced them to trim their beard

Several students from Jammu and Kashmir, studying in a nursing college in Karnataka, have alleged that they were asked by the college administration to shave or trim their beards to attend classes.
The students enrolled at Government Nursing College in Hassan district claimed they faced threats of being marked absent from clinical activities unless they complied with the directive.
According to the students, approximately 24 Kashmiri students were informed that they needed to trim their beards to a ’01’ trimmer length or be clean-shaven to participate in college activities and clinical duties. The students reported that those who maintained beards were marked absent during clinical sessions, which negatively affected their attendance and academic records.
The issue was later resolved after the Jammu and Kashmir Student’s Association wrote a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, calling for his intervention.
In its letter, the student association termed the directions by the college as “infringing” on the cultural and religious rights of the students.
“The college administration has reportedly been compelling these Kashmiri students to either trim their beards to a ’01’ trimmer length or be clean-shaven before they are allowed to participate in college activities or enter the premises, particularly for clinical duties. Furthermore, students who have beards are being marked absent during clinical duties, impacting their academic records and attendance,” the letter addressed to Siddaramaiah read.
However, the college administration has denied targeting any specific group. The college’s clinical inspector, Vijayakumar, clarified that the guidelines were issued to all students, including local Kannadiga students, to maintain hygiene standards essential for clinical duties.
“Even after directions from the college, students did not follow them while studying nursing. This time, a stern warning was issued,” a statement from the college management read.
The college administration also accused the Kashmiri students of frequently skipping classes to attend religious prayers. Following the letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the college administration held a meeting with the Kashmiri students and agreed to allow them to observe their religious customs without repercussions.