JODHPUR: The Rajasthan High Court has asked the state government to provide for reservation to transgenders in state employment in accordance with the Supreme Court verdict on the issue.
A bench of justices Madan Gopal Vyas and Manindra Mohan Shrivastava gave the direction to the Rajasthan government dismissing its contention that it is the state's prerogative to decide whether to give reservation in jobs and to what extent.
The Jodhpur bench ordered the government to fix quota for transgenders in state jobs and determine other modalities relating to it within four months.
The high court gave its ruling on a plea by a member of the transgender community aspiring to become a police sub-inspector and having participated in the recruitment process for it.
Petitioner Ganga Kumari had approached the court seeking its directions to the government to provide proper and effective reservation to transgenders in terms of the mandate of the Supreme Court verdict.
Arguing for her case, her counsel Rituraj Singh Rathore submitted to the court that the apex court has given detailed directions on the issue but the Rajasthan government has not implemented them till now.
He pointed out to the court that the Supreme Court in its ruling in the case of the National Legal Services Authority had examined the rights of transgender in appointment to public services and admission to educational institutions.
The apex court had subsequently directed governments to take steps to treat them as socially and educationally backward class of citizens and extend them all kinds of reservations in cases of admission in educational institutions and for public appointments.
Additional Advocate General Manish Vyas, however, contended that providing reservation to anyone in government jobs and admission to educational institutions is a government prerogative but the bench dismissed his contentions.