The Apex Court has directed the Indian Government to devise a policy for opening job avenues for the transgender community.
According to news reports, the SC observed that the 2014 judgment of the Supreme Court said transpersons comprised the third community. It had directed the job applications to have a separate column for the third gender.
SC sought a policy framework for enabling job opportunities for the community in three months following a petition by Shanavi Ponnusamy from Tamil Nadu.
In her petition, Shanavi said dreams of flying as a cabin crew with an airline (Air India) were thwarted in 2017.
The petitioner highlighted that there was no separate column for the transgender community, and she had to apply in the female category. While the airlines clarified that the candidate didn’t qualify and failed to score minimum marks, the court said that Shanavi’s case turned the spotlight on broader issues. The petitioner also stated, “Human rights are basic rights and freedoms which are guaranteed to a human by virtue of him being a human which can neither be created nor can be abrogated by any government.”
In another recent development, from July 1 this year, UIDAI, the AADHAAR authority of India, included the Transgender ID card as part of acceptable supporting documents for verification, providing a relief to the community.
