Is Delhi University Still Not The Place For Third Gender ?

Delhi University considered trans genders as third gender and introduced them under the “other” category in the application forms,following the judgment of the Supreme Court in 2014 and the transgender students to apply for admissions.It was a progressive move on the part of the university but these students were fearful of the consequences and the implications of this decision. Most of them preferred to take admission in School of Open Learning (SOL) or took distant mode of learning or dropping out entirely to regular admissions. This was because they either did not meet the cut off or they did not feel welcomed by this change. This fear among the transgender students proved to be true as the university was not yet prepared to face the implications of this decision. Lack of suitable infrastructure, ill functioning of the grievance committees and no formal orientation program has been implemented properly. Thus no particular guidelines and facilities were considered relevant until now.

Not only this but also the students felt humiliated and embarrassed by the shrewd and lewd comments made at them by their own fellow mates. This includes the staff members and the teachers too for being rude and insensitive to them. Thus, many students have disheartening and traumatic experiences to be brought to light but still haven’t. This trend from the past two years had brought a major fall in the number of applicants this year as compared to the past years.Only 35 applicants have applied this year.

Varsha,a second year B.Com student of SOL,North Campus, feels like it is a nightmare to study in the varsity.Similarly, Riya Sharma, SOL student, who enrolled as Rahul Sharma for under graduation course in 2012, recalls how she was harassed and humiliated by her fellow mates.Many students have been through their share of thick and thin and have come up as winners.

Rome was not built in a day! Similarly, the university is now getting stricter on its discrimination policy and is revising it for the betterment of the transgender students.The department of adult,continuing education and extension has planned a formal orientation program this year.This is the only committee in the whole of the university that conducts research and communication outreach program for third gender students.Professor Rajesh Kumar,a member of this department came forward and said,“The University needs to have an equal opportunity cell as well as a students’ welfare society for transgender students, just like general students, to address their problem.”

Now is the time for a change to be made and to blaze a fire of humanity in the hearts of the people and in one self towards the third gender people and accept them as they are.