CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has recommended that the state government take into account providing 1% horizontal reservation for members of the community in schooling and public work as a relief to the transgender community within the state.
While hearing a public interest litigation complaint brought by trans activist Grace Banu on Tuesday, the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy made the suggestion.
The bench instructed advocate-general R Shunmugasundaram to obtain guidance from the state by March 4 because it is a policy decision that must be made at the highest levels of the state.
According to the petitioner, transgender people who identify as women are entitled to parallel reservation for women across all class categories under the state’s current policy.
However, according to her, those who identify as men or non-binary fall into one of two categories: MBC or their respective caste.
The petitioner added that the Karnataka state had established a scheme that gave trans people in all caste categories 1% horizontal reservation.
The bench noted the submissions and said that the Tamil Nadu government might also take such a solution into consideration.
The judge also emphasized that the Supreme Court ordered all states to grant transgender people reservations so they could blend into mainstream society in the 2014 NALSA ruling.
