The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, to grant provisional admission to a 33-year-old transgender person for the three-year LLB course for the academic year 2023-24.
Justice Ashok S. Kinagi passed the interim order on a petition filed by Mugil Anbu Vasantha.
However, the court made it clear that the admission would be subject to final outcome of the petition and the eligibility criteria of the petitioner.
Mentioned in application
The petitioner had applied for the all-India entrance exam conducted by the NLSIU for the three-year LLB course under the general category clearly mentioning to be a transgender, it has been pointed out in the petition.
Stating that the petitioner had secured 96th percentile in Part A and 83.40th percentile in Part B in the entrance exam, it has been complained in the petition that NLSIU had neither published the rank list nor the admission list of the candidates who appeared for the exam.
The only message that petitioner got through the individual login portal provided by the NLSIU was “not offered admission.” It has been claimed in the petition that the petitioner meets all the eligibility criterion.
It has been further contended that the NLSIU had failed to provide the reservation for transgender persons as per the law and did not respond to the representations sent by the petitioner.
Provisions violated
Also, the petitioner has said the premier law institute has failed to implement the provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, and the TPPR Rules, 2020, and the Karnataka State Policy on Transgenders, 2017.
Pointing out that TPPR Act prohibits any person or establishment from discriminating against any transgender person in educational establishments and services, and recognises the right of transgender persons to be identified as such, it has been alleged in the petition that the NLSIU has violated these provisions by discriminating against the petitioner and denying admission.
