BHUBANESWAR: All educational institutions run by the state government have been asked to set up gender-neutral toilets on campuses and monitoring committees to address problems faced by transgender students. This was informed by the Higher Education department at a review meeting of all departments, chaired by chief secretary Pradeep Jena, on compliance with the advisory issued by NHRC relating to the welfare of transgenders.
The department informed an advisory has been issued to all government, autonomous, non-government and government-aided private institutions to protect gender non-conforming students from bullying, harassment and any other forms of violence on their campuses. Besides, a policy will be framed at the department level to address the issues of violence and discrimination of transgender students.
In the current academic year, 46 transgender students are studying in different higher educational institutions in the state. Employment concerns of transgenders were also discussed at the meeting. The SSEPD department had earlier this year asked all the departments for inclusion of third gender or any other category in the application forms for recruitment to various posts under the state government and to modify the relevant examination rules providing for inclusion of transgender as a separate category of gender under the provisions of The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
However, with many of the departments yet to implement it, they were asked to incorporate third gender as an identity category to enable them to apply and appear for examinations. All the agencies involved in document verification were also asked to verify and accept the identification documents even if the name or photo of the transgender person varies with the original documents, provided the candidate has obtained a transgender certificate.
While the Women and Child Development department was asked to monitor that district administrations extend help to people of this section to form SHGs and get bank loans to start livelihood activities, the Housing and Urban Development department was directed to take necessary steps for inclusion of transgenders in better occupational opportunities.
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