Two Additional Seats Per Course Sanctioned In Colleges For Transgender Students In Kerala

In a move being lauded as a progressive step towards inclusive education, the Kerala government’s Higher Education Department has sanctioned two additional seats for admission of transgender students in all courses in universities and affiliated arts and science colleges in the state. 

"Due to societal issues, these students often have to discontinue their studies or to join other academic institutions after an academic year or after the admission process is closed”, reads the order. 

The order states "Government is pleased to sanction two additional seats in all courses in Universities and affiliated Arts and Science Colleges exclusively for admitting transgender students subject to the fulfillment of qualification" 

The circular by Additional Secretary MG Ranjith Kumar, has been issued to the Director of Collegiate Education and the Registrars of, number of universities including CUSAT, Calicut University, Kerala University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Sree Sankara University of Sanskrit and Thunchathezhuthachan Malayalam University.

The special order was issued in the wake of a recommendation by the Social Justice Department, seeking to reserve seats for transgender persons in colleges across Kerala.

Sharing the news of the development, Queerala, an organisation for Malayali LGBTIQ people, noted that this was a step towards inclusive education. A few transgender students who could not secure admission in Maharaja's college in Ernakulam based on merit, approached the transgender justice board, paving way for the government order.

"Higher Education Department of Kerala issues a GO (government order) asking all Higher Educational Institutions in the state to reserve two seats, for all courses across colleges and Universities, for Transgender Students. A few transgender students, who had applied for various courses in Ernakulam Maharajas College, couldn’t get through the merit-based admission process. They then approached the state Social Justice Department, which along with other departments initiated this major step towards inclusive education," Queerala posted on Facebook.

Muskan Sharma

BW Reporters Muskan is a Journalism Undergrad Student and Currently an Intern at BW Businessworld.