In a landmark ruling, the Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal government to allocate a 1% reservation in public employment for transgender persons. This decision came in response to a petition filed by a transgender individual who, despite clearing the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) in both 2014 and 2022, was consistently excluded from counseling and interviews.
The petitioner, meeting all eligibility criteria, was unjustly denied entry into the selection process, highlighting systemic discrimination. This legal challenge sought to address the exclusion and uphold the rights of transgender individuals in public employment.
Justice Rajasekhar Mantha emphasized the state’s policy of equal treatment for transgender persons and referenced the Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling, which classified transgender individuals as socially and educationally backward, warranting affirmative action. The court’s directive underscores the necessity of implementing these provisions to ensure fair opportunities for transgender persons in public sector jobs.
Despite the West Bengal government’s declared policy of non-discrimination in employment, the enforcement of reservations for transgender individuals had been overlooked, prompting the court’s intervention to rectify this oversight.
