The University of Mumbai has issued strict directions to its affiliated colleges to provide provision of counselling for transgenders and other students to “assimilate them as one student community”. The direction comes a few months after the university instructed colleges in January to have transgender as third gender as a separate column, besides ‘male’ and ‘female’, in admission, scholarship, examination and other forms, from the 2015-16 academic year. “As a part of basic necessity, it is essential to provide separate rest rooms to the students belonging to transgender community. (There must be) Provision of counselling to transgenders and the other students so as to enable them to assimilate as one student community, which will be a healthy practice for the university,” says the circular issued recently by the university’s Department of Students’ Welfare. [related-post] The university has also instructed colleges to ensure that each institute’s grievance committee address grievance cases of transgender students within 24 hours from the time the complaint has been lodged, or the next working day, whichever may be earlier. Each college has also been directed to assign one teacher as a mentor for the transgender students. “This circular is in reference to the Supreme Court order pertaining to transgenders.The judgement reads thus, ‘We are well aware that transgenders are deprived of social and cultural participation and hence restricted access to education, healthcare and public spaces, which deprives them of the constitutional guarantee of equality before law and equal protection of laws. Further, it was also pointed put that the community faces discrimination to contest election, right to vote, employment, to get licenses etc; and in effect treated as an outcast or untouchable.The state cannot discriminate on the grounds of gender.” The university circular asks colleges to “fall in line” with the judgement and make necessary amendments in the admission forms and all other proforma, where the institution asks for the gender or sex. mihika.basu@expressindia.com
