Anna University includes transgender option in application form

The decision was taken after a demand from a candidate who wished to be referred to as a ‘transgender’ instead of ‘male’ or ‘female’. He was issued a grade sheet and certificates after a long fight of four years.

Anna University has included transgender option in the ‘Application for change of photographs in certificates’, The Hindu reported.  

The decision was taken after a demand from a candidate who wished to be referred to as a ‘transgender’ instead of ‘male’ or ‘female’. The candidate, Arun Karthick, shared his experience on Instagram on Wednesday. He said: “Yesterday Anna University issued my grade sheet and certificates after a long fight of four years. I had happy tears. It was a crucial fight,” he said. 

The candidate said he had been checking the University website daily for it to update his certificate and mark sheets. On Tuesday, he was told that the change had been done and the university also waived the name change fee of INR 13,000 and INR 3,500 for printing the altered certificate. 

Sources in the university said this was the fifth candidate who wanted to effect a change in gender. “Some three years ago a candidate had sought to change the gender and we changed it as per the person’s request. Usually such requests would come several years after their graduation. They would be for changing the gender from male to female or female to male and we have done this.” 

Demand accepted after candidates produces magistrate’s order  

They said, “This is the first time that the candidate wanted to be referred as a transgender. We did not have such a provision. We told him to get a Court order. Since he had a magistrate’s order and in all the other government documents, including class 10 and class 12 certificates, bank passbook, voter’s ID and even Aadhaar card, it was mentioned as transgender his request was accepted,” a source said. 

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