To enrol third gender, DU will reach out directly to aspirants

The centre was established in north campus last April to guide transgender aspirants. No transgender student has enrolled in a regular course since DU introduced the third gender category in 2015.

After failing to attract even a single aspirant in the last one year, Delhi University’s (DU) ‘transgender resource centre’ has decided to reach out to the transgender community ahead of the admission process for the next academic session.

Transgender students, pursuing education through distance learning, often cite humiliation meted out to them as a reason for not opting the regular stream. (HT Photo)

The centre was established in north campus last April to guide transgender aspirants. No transgender student has enrolled in a regular course since DU introduced the third gender category in 2015.

Rajesh (single name), an associate professor at the Department of Adult, Continuing Education and Extension, from where the transgender resource centre operates, said, “The idea of inviting transgender students to the resource centre did not work in the past. This year, we will reach out to them in their neighbourhoods. We have started looking for their addresses and will organise camps. We will try to give them admission related information and persuade them to join regular classes.”

Although DU receives applications under the third gender category every year, nobody has enrolled in regular classes as of now. Around 101 applications in the category were received last year—the highest in four years. They prefer the School of Open Learning (SOL) that provides distant education options.

Transgender students, pursuing education through distance learning, often cite humiliation meted out to them as a reason for not opting the regular stream.

Some of them, who identify themselves as women, want admission to a women’s college. But, the norms currently do not permit a transgender to enrol in a women’s college.

The university presently offer “third gender” options only in co-ed colleges.

Manpreet, a transgender activist and founder ,Pehal NGO, said, “It’s always better to reach out to the community directly. There are those who want to study but we have to reach out to them,” she said, adding that the university’s name change policy is also a major hurdle.

As per the DU norms, a student can only change his/her name in records after getting it changed in school records.

The Delhi high court had last month directed the DU and the Central Board of Secondary Education to discuss the possibility of allowing transgender students to change their name and gender in educational records.

The directions had come in response to a petition filed by a former transgender student seeking to change name and gender on education records.