Notices to Kaloji Varsity, state on admission

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi, Secretary of  Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Vakati  Karuna, Secretary of  Telangana State Education Department,  Dr. B. Karunakar Reddy, Vice Chancellor of  Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences and Directorate of  Medical Counseling in Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ,for non-compliance of the its orders  on admission to a transgender person in the ongoing counselling for PG Medical seats in the government colleges in the state of Telangana.

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aaradhe and Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar gave two weeks’ time to the officers to accommodate the transgender candidate Dr Koyyala Ruth John Paul, in any government Medical PG College by giving her admission into the course of gynaecology specialisation.

The Bench was dealing with a contempt case filed by Ruth John Paul complaining that the authorities had failed to give effect to an order made in June 2023 requiring the authorities to “extend the benefit of third gender status in addition to status as scheduled caste while considering her admission in any of the courses either under the Central or State quota.”

It is the case of the petitioner that despite the said direction the authorities had offered her a seat in the ESI Hospital in emergency medicine while she was entitled to a seat in gynaecology in any of the government colleges.

Senior Counsel L. Ravichander appearing for the petitioner rhetorically asked in which century are we living that a seat in gynaecology is being deprived because the candidate is a transgender?

Senior Counsel also pointed out that there was failure to substantially comply with the directions of the court and therefore the authorities were guilty of wilful and wanton violation. Ravichander argued that the Supreme Court and the High Court had required the government to ensure recognising transgender as a separate entity and in the instant case the same is visibly violated.

The bench heard the contentions and hoped that by the next date of hearing the orders of the court would be complied by giving admission to the petitioner in Gynaecology specialization.