Raised in a home for transpersons, Nivetha A. would open her books to prepare for the next day’s class when others would leave either to seek alms or for other activities.
She was the only transperson among the 7,60,606 students who wrote and cleared the Class XII board exam this year. Aspiring to be a doctor, Nivetha is also the first transperson to write the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) from Tamil Nadu. “I completed my Class IX in 2019 when my parents kicked me out. It wasn’t until my guardian took me in that I voiced my desire to study further,” Nivetha said.
But it wasn’t an easy task. She had dropped out of school and underwent gender-affirmation surgery but did not resume her studies straight away as self-doubt kicked in.
“Though I wanted to study, I was not sure if schools would accept me as I am a transperson and hence, I never voiced my desire to study,” Nivetha added. It was then that her guardian Sambavi V. instilled confidence in her to pursue her studies. “At first, the Lady Willingdon Higher Secondary School was not inclined to accept her as she was a transperson. We went to the authorities in the School Education Department, who ensured that she got admitted. Today, she has brought recognition to the school as a district-level winner in the department’s annual Kalai Thiruvizha and has been voted as the school pupil leader,” Ms. Sambavi said.
The school provided her with food, study materials coupled with extra coaching for public exams and NEET. “She has been able to succeed only because she was accepted,” Ms. Sambavi emphasised.
Speaking about her preparations, Nivetha said her household was very noisy. “It is a transpersons’s home, it would be very lively. So, studying in the evening was hard. I would wake up at 4 a.m. to get some reading done. My guardian would also give me company,” she said.
In the State Budget 2024, the government announced that it would cover all educational expenses, including tuition and hostel fees, of transpersons who want to pursue higher education. Nivetha hopes to make use of this and pursue higher studies. “I want to be a doctor, and with support from the government, I can pursue my dreams,” she said.
