Transgenders get quota in Kerala college admissions

Up to two additional seats for transgenders have been reserved in universities

Transgenders get quota in Kerala college admissions [File] Sheethal Shyam, state president of Dwaya Charitable Society | Jibin Chempola

Kerala state education department has reserved up to two additional seats for transgender applicants for all the courses in universities and affiliated arts and science colleges under it. Education minister professor C. Ravindranath announced the decision in a press release which states that the government looks forward to extending the transgender aspirants an easier access to higher education in order to ensure better social justice.

Kerala's transgender community welcomed this move with great excitement. Sheethal Shyam, state president of Dwaya Charitable Society who works for the welfare and upliftment of transgenders in Kerala, shared her happiness. “I am so happy to be in a progressive state where the government and public join hands to incorporate gender minorities into the society's mainstream. I have played a very small part behind this new move. It was Daya Gayathri, Theertha Sarvika, and Praveen who hail from Kerala's transgender community who came up with a petition to reserve seats for transgenders in university courses. I forwarded their petition to our district welfare committee and it was soon passed to education minister's office with prior importance. I am happy that the state education department considered our request very soon,” Sheethal Shyam said.

The decision to submit a petition was taken when they failed to get admission for higher studies in Maharaja's College, Ernakulam.

Once a male student, Daya back to Maharaja's as a woman

Daya Gayathri was a student of BA Economics at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam during the 2013-14 academic year as a male student. She failed to complete the course because of frequent harassment from some of the college mates for her gender difference. Meanwhile she was also expelled from her home for revealing her plans to do a sex reassignment surgery. Daya had applied for BA Malayalam literature at Maharaja's College this year but couldn't get an admission because of her poor academic records. With the new government decision, Daya hopes to return to college next year, this time as a proud female scholar.

“People like us always had to fight the society's attacks, threats from our own families and intrapersonal conflicts at the same time. Those who dream for higher education are the ones who plan big for their future, regardless of all the challenges they face. We do deserve a small reservation,” Daya told Onmanorama. Theertha and Praveen Nath wish to join BA English Literature at Maharaja's College, along with Daya Gayathri.

Kerala state literacy mission authority launched an exclusive literacy aid programme for transgenders recently, by which a monthly scholarship of up to Rs 1,250 and a shelter home in each district are provided. An extension of KSLMA's ambitious project 'Samanwaya', which focuses on the free continuing education of gender minorities in Kerala, the new programme will provide the students of Samanwaya's fourth-grade equivalence program with a scholarship of Rs 1,000, and those enrolled for higher secondary equivalence programme Rs 1,250.

The authority is also set to open four district level shelter homes initially, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts.

It also opined to provide a secure shelter system as most of them were expelled from families for their choice.

“It would be good if the state government extends a shelter project for transgenders at least until we achieve a creamy layer status and set up a living of our own,” Sheethal said.