Allow transgender to appear for Sub Inspector exam: Madras High Cuort

CHENNAI: The Madras high court has directed the Tamil Nadu uniformed services recruitment board to allow a transgender candidate to appear for a written exam for the post of sub-inspector, which is scheduled for May 23. A vacation Judge, Justice R. Mahadevan, before whom a petition, filed by a transgender K. Prithika Yashin (24) of Kandhampatti, Salem,  came up, has directed the board to allow the petitioner to appear for the examination on production of the gazette notification for sex change.

In the petition, Yashini submitted that she completed graduation in computer application. She underwent a sex reassignment surgery and notified the same in the government gazette on October 18, 2013.Yashini applied for an SI post. However, she could not produce some of her educational qualification certificates as they were delayed by authorities concerned for modifying the name and sex in them. Yashini alleged that the application was rejected stating she was a transgender.

Relying on an earlier order of the high court in 2013, which directed the Board to permit a transgender candidate to appear for the examination, Yashini prayed the court to allow her to appear for the written examination under female category. Justice Mahadevan directed the board to permit Yashini to appear for the examination on production of the gazette notification for sex change

Joining police force my aim: Prithika

Prithika Yashni, who successfully fought against the denial of hall ticket for the examination, had been nursing an ambition to join the police since childhood. “Joining the police force is my aim and now with the positive judgment, I am inching closer towards the goal,” she told DC on Thursday. However, it was only after completing her Bachelors degree did Pritihika seriously contemplate applying for a police job. .

After requesting a change in name in her school and college certificates, Prithika thought she was close to fulfilling all criteria to appear for the police exam. “It was taking time for registering the name change, and hence I applied under the women category for the exam. There was no transgenders’ category. Last Saturday, I received a message stating that I could download the hall ticket,” she said.

Yet, when she went to a browsing centre on Monday, Prithika was shocked to find a message left by TNUSRB that her candidature was not proper and hence could not download the hall ticket. “This was extremely unjust and I immediately decided to appeal against the decision. Today, I can heave a sigh of relief.”