‘ Other’ gender option in forms
The move was also welcomed by ultra- left All- India Students’ Association, which had swept JNUSU elections last year, winning all top four positions
Following the Supreme Court direction that transgenders must be acknowledged as the third gender, the Jawaharlal Nehru University ( JNU) has introduced an option of “third gender” in the nomination forms for the students’ union elections to be held on September 12.
A notification issued by the JNU Students’ Union Election Committee said, “The Election Committee is going to introduce option of third gender as ‘ other’ in the nomination form of the JNU Students’ Union elections 2014- 15.”
Dileep Kumar Maurya, JNUSU Election Committee chairperson, said this is a step forward to ensure gender inclusivity in the university campus after the landmark ruling by the apex court. This is for the first time that an election committee has introduced the option of “other” in nomination forms.
Last week, the university’s gender sensitisation committee against sexual harassment ( GSCASH) had written to the JNUSU Election Committee to include the “other” category in the nomination forms. “The GSCASH had written an application to the Election Committee last week and the committee has accepted their request. In JNU, we always talked about gender equality and it is a step towards to achieve it in a different way,” Mr Maurya added.
Earlier this year, the Delhi University introduced space for third gender in application forms for postgraduate courses. However, JNU is yet to introduce the “other” category in its admission forms and this move may further the process of introducing the option in admission forms as well.
The move was also welcomed by ultra- left AllIndia Students’ Association ( AISA), which had swept JNUSU elections last year, winning all top four positions of president, vicepresident, general secretary and joint secretary. “This is the first time an official form of JNU has the ‘ other’ category. We appreciate this attempt of the EC which is a step forward,” said Sucheta De, AISA national president.