Overview

• Dr. Zubair Ahmad withdrew from his DrNB nephrology programme at Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital after being instructed to shave or trim his beard to enroll.
• He has requested the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences to allow him into the third round of NEET-SS counselling and to refund his ₹2 lakh security deposit.
• The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association appealed to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, arguing that the grooming requirement violates constitutional religious freedoms under Article 25.
• KMCH vice-president R Narayanan defended the policy as a uniform grooming standard for hygiene and patient safety that permits neatly trimmed beards.
• The case highlights questions about admission transparency and the tension between professional norms and religious rights in India’s medical education system.