JNU to Compensate Transgenders with ‘Extra Points’ in Admission

NEW DELHI: After having shown a positive attitude towards the transgender candidates when it changed its GSCASH (Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment)logo to make it more inclusive, Jawaharlal Nehru University of Delhi is now considering helping them by crediting extra points to make it easier for them to take admission in one of the premier universities of India.

A committee which was formed by JNU in the beginning of the 2015 submitted its report in December, proposed that 4-5 points be credited to transgender candidates. It was the sought through the committee that certain backward groups be recognized and to check the viability of granting “deprivation points” to them. The report was submitted to Academic council (AC).

“We have proposed four deprivation points for transgender students, among others. But there is still some debate on whether it should be four or five points. If the Council passes the proposal, it will be implemented from the next academic session,” Ajay Kumar Pattnaik, one of the members of the committee said to media.

The move is welcomed by the students in JNU. But also there are concerns which are yet to be tackled by the institute like where the candidates will be accommodated and which toilets they are going to be using during their residence.

“There are no unisex toilets on campus. There is also no clarity on which hostel transgender students will be accommodated in and who will be their roommates. These issues need to be looked at,” said Gourab Ghosh, who is a member of JNU Queer group ‘Dhanak’ to Indian Express.

Apart from the recent proposed move, JNU has reserved seats for SC/STs as per the state law. They also have “deprivation points” system in their admission policy for women, wards of defense personnel, and Kashmiri migrants.

Earlier, it had accommodated a third option of transgender in the admission form as per UGC guidelines, which was mandated by a Supreme Court decision as it announced that transgenders be considered ‘third gender’ in 2014. Such has been the force of recognition in years since that now we even have a transgender principal in a university in West Bengal.