Over 250 transgenders likely to take Board exams

In an empowering move, more than 250 transgenders have registered to write the Intermediate and Matriculation exams of the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) that will be conducted in February and March.

The registration for the exams are in the final phase with almost 30 lakh students — 12.6 lakh in Class XII and 17.6 lakh in Class X — enrolled to write the state board exams. However, this is the first time, a separate ‘third gender’ column has been provided in the registration forms. Earlier, they had to write either male or female in the gender column. Besides registration forms, admit cards, answer sheets, mark sheets and passing certificates will also have a column for third gender.

According to the information furnished by the BSEB, in all, 245 transgenders have registered for the  Intermediate exams while around eight for the Matriculation exam. However, this may include some male or female students too, who mistakenly clicked on the option and the Board is trying to verify the same, a BSEB source said.

Officials also said that the move was to provide equal opportunity to all and that third gender members will write the exams just as any other male or female student.

“We were hoping for this in last year’s BSEB exams, but its good that at least it has happened this time. We welcome the move as a beginning in the right direction,” a transgender rights activist, Reshma, told reporters.

In April 2014, the Supreme Court had recognised transgender community as third gender and directed the government to treat them as socially and educationally backward classes and extend reservation for admission in educational institutions and for public appointments. In compliance with the same, Bihar had announced OBC status for them in March last year.