Following the provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, notified in December last year, the Centre has directed departments to add ¡®Transgender¡¯ as a separate category for job application.
On April 20, all the departments of the Central government were notified and asked to? include ¡°transgender¡± as a separate category of gender for recruitment in civil services and other posts, according to a Personnel Ministry order.
The matter regarding inclusion of ¡°Third Gender/any Other Category¡± in the application forms in recruitment to various posts under the central government, was under consideration of the government for quite some time, news agency PTI quoted the ministry as saying.
Based on the provisions of the Act and the legal opinion obtained on the subject, civil services examination rules, 2020 have been notified on February 5, 2020, providing for inclusion of ¡®Transgender¡¯ as a separate category of gender for the said exam, it said in an order issued to the secretaries of all central government departments.
¡°All ministries/departments of government of India are requested to modify the relevant examination rules providing for inclusion of ¡®Transgender¡¯ as a separate category of gender, so as to make the said Rules in conformity with the provisions of The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019,¡± the Personnel Ministry said.
The legislation provides that no establishment shall discriminate against transgender persons in matters relating to employment, recruitment, promotion and other related issues. It also provides for grievance redressal mechanism in each establishment and the establishment of a National Council for Transgender Person.
The coronavirus lockdown has left India's transgender community at heightened risk of poverty and ill health because they exist on the margins of society, making ends meet through sex work and begging.
India's estimated 2 million people would be among the worst hit by the lockdown.