Supreme Court issues notice on plea for transgender reservation in NEET PG seats
The plea filed by three transgender persons seeks a 1 per cent horizontal reservation for transgender candidates. The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a plea seeking horizontal reservation for transgender students in postgraduate medical college seats, which are allocated through the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET PG) [Kiran AR and ors v. Union of India and ors]. A Bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan issued notice on a plea filed by three transgender persons, who have sought a 1 per cent reservation for transgender candidates in PG medical seats. The students have argued that the notification issued for the conduct of the upcoming NEET-PG 2025-26 violates the Supreme Court’s 2014 landmark ruling in National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) v. Union of India. The petitioners recounted that in the NALSA judgment, the top court had called on the government to take steps to treat transgender persons as socially and educationally backward classes and to extend all kinds of reservations in public appointments and educational admissions to them. The plea adds that the NEET PG notifications issued in April for the conduct of the upcoming edition of the exam also violate the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, which puts an obligation on the government to ensure the full and effective participation of transgender persons in society. The petitioners have contended that this year’s NEET PG admission notice is unconstitutional for being violative of Articles 14 (right to equality), 15 (right against non-discrimination), 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression) and 21 (right to life) of the Constitution of India. The petitioners, therefore, have called for the Court to direct the issuance of a fresh NEET PG admission notification which provides for horizontal reservation of seats for transgender persons in PG medical seats. “In the absence of horizontal reservations, the petitioners, who are (among) the few transgender persons in the country who are pursuing/ have completed MBBS and are planning to pursue their postgraduation, would be deprived of equal opportunity with no specific reservation being extended to them to ensure representation of transgender persons in postgraduate medical education despite transgender persons facing several social barriers,” the plea states. The Court has also been urged to stay the NEET PG admission notice dated April 16 until it decides on the matter. The petitioners include one student from a Scheduled Caste (SC), one student from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and one General/ Open category student. Senior Advocate Indira Jaising appeared for the petitioners. The petition has been filed through Advocate Paras Nath Singh. Courtesy: Bar and Bench Note: This news is originally published on https://www.barandbench.com and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Tripura transgender community protests Pahalgam attack, vows to defend nation.
In a powerful demonstration of patriotism, members of the Kinnar Samaj in Gomati District’s Udaipur staged a protest condemning the recent terrorist attack on Hindu tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Outraged by the brutal violence, the protestors burned Pakistan’s national flag, holding it responsible for repeated acts of terror on Indian soil. Chanting slogans like “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and holding placards denouncing terrorism, they called for decisive action against Pakistan-sponsored militancy. Speaking to the media, the transgender activists made their position clear: “We have been protesting against Pakistan for years. They are disturbing peace and attacking innocent people. We must unite and fight back.” Declaring their unwavering commitment to the nation, one protester said: “We, from Kinnar Samaj, are ready to face bullets if needed. We will stand at the frontlines to protect our Bharat Mata.” They condemned the attacks on women and civilians in Kashmir and called upon all Indians to stand united against external threats. The protest by the transgender community has drawn attention for its bold stand and heartfelt patriotism, signalling that every section of Indian society is ready to defend the nation against terror. Courtesy: India Todayne Note: This news is originally published on https://www.indiatodayne.in and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.