Odisha: State govt asks varsities, colleges to ensure safety of transgenders

Bhubaneswar: Complying with an advisory by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Odisha government has directed registrars and principals of all the universities and degree colleges in the state to ensure the safety of the transgenders on campuses.

In a letter to the registrars and principals, the state higher education department has requested the educational institutes to protect gender non-conforming students from bullying, harassment or other forms of violence in their respective jurisdictions.

The department also directed to form monitoring committee cells at educational institutes to address prejudices, discrimination, sexual abuse and other violence against transgenders.

As per the department, gender-neutral facilities should be provided at all higher educational institutions, including unisex toilets and restrooms.

On September 26, the NHRC had in a letter to the secretaries in the department of social justice and empowerment and ministry of corporate affairs, chief secretaries of states and administrators of Union Territories, asked them for early implementation of its recommendations in letter and spirit. The rights body had also sought Action Taken Report (ATR) within two months.

In the advisory, the Commission had observed that one of the primary concerns faced by transgender persons in the country is that despite the legal advancements, they continue to grapple with discrimination at various places like employment disparities, limited access to healthcare, and exclusion from social circles.

The Odisha government has already formulated a policy for enabling transgenders to have equal access to education. Called Odisha State Transgender Person Policy 2021, the policy reiterates the commitment of the State to provide equal opportunities to third-gender persons and protection of their rights. It emphasizes a series of interventions, namely, education, security, equality, freedom of expression, education, employment, healthcare, safety and security, housing and ageing.

The policy asks educational institutions to ensure provisions to address issues gender non-conforming students and TG students as well as establish an anti-discrimination cell to monitor any form of discrimination and harassment; raise awareness of the entire spectrum of student population towards the TGs, starting from the upper primary level.

According to the 2011 Census, there are 20,332 transgender persons in Odisha.