Acting on the petition, the top court issued a notice to the Civil Aviation Ministry and Air India — who denied her the job
Alleging discrimination, a transgender filed a petition in the Supreme Court after her dream of being a cabin crew with an airline was cut short. Acting on the petition, the top court issued a notice to the Civil Aviation Ministry and Air India — who denied her the job.
The bench, led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, sought a response from the aviation ministry on why there is no “Third Gender” category in recruitment forms.
To gain experience and bolster her resume, Shanavi Ponnusamy, an engineering graduate, worked with Sutherland Global Services and the Air India Customer Support in Chennai.
Earlier this year, Ponnuswamy applied for the position of a cabin crew advertised by Air India. The Chennai resident, who was born a male, believed she fit the eligibility criteria since by then she had already undergone successful sexual reassignment surgery from Bangkok.
“The petitioner pursuant thereto, applied for the said post, as she fulfilled the eligibility criteria. She applied in the female category. The petitioner received the call letter for the GD and PAT and also appeared for the said tests. The petitioner has taken four attempts so far but unfortunately she has not been shortlisted for the post in question even though she fared well in the tests conducted,” her petition read.
Despite all attempts, Ponnuswamy was rejected. In response to a representation the petitioner sent to the PMO, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed the petitioner that there was no transgender category at the time of application in the recruitment policy and as such her case is closed.
“That the petitioner has learnt that she has not been able to make the cut on account of the fact that she is a transgender and the vacancies in the cabin crew are earmarked only for women,” the petition said.
“The main problems being faced by the transgender community are of discrimination, unemployment, lack of educational facilities, homelessness, and lack of medical facilities. Transgenders have very limited employment opportunities,” she alleged in her petition.
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