This is awesome, I mean so bloody awesome.
National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bangalore vice-chancellor Prof R Venkata Rao told TOI this was an important move in the area of human rights. “During interaction with transgenders, they pointed out that in application forms, it was always Male or Female in the gender category but there’s no mention of Transgenders or Others. This got us thinking.”
The idea of including ‘Others’ in applications will be placed before the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) committee. “We planned to include it this year itself but CLAT forms had already been issued. The proposal will be put before the committee which may meet in October or November and see that adequate space is given to them,” Venkata Rao said. If transgenders apply, they will be selected based on merit.
Law schools will counsel students who will study with transgenders. “Students should laugh with others, not at others. That will be our motto,” he added.
While NLSIU is taking this initiative, Bangalore University and University of Mumbai have already incorporated this provision in their admission procedure. [Link]
Hopefully some sense will prevail among the Heads of private colleges and institutes, and we shall see more of such positive reactions in the near future.
Tamil Nadu the only state in India to accord official status to the third sex