The Maharashtra government on Friday told the Bombay High Court that transgenders could apply for the post of police constables.
Advocate General (AG) Ashutosh Kumbhakoni made the statement before a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Abhay Ahuja. He said the State would frame guidelines setting the rules and standards for transgenders, by February 2023.
He explained a third option would be added to the column of gender in the online application form for transgenders, and two posts for police constables would be kept vacant for transgenders.
The AG said the deadline for filing the online form had been extended till December 15 and the option for third gender would be inserted by December 13.
The court was hearing a plea by the State, challenging an order passed by the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) directing it to create a provision for transgenders in the application form, for posts under the Home department. The State was seeking to quash the order by MAT directing all government agencies to include a third gender in its application form.
An advertisement was issued for the recruitment of police constables. Arya Pujari, a transgender woman applied online. However, there were only genders mentioned in the application— male and female. There was no third gender, that is why Mr. Pujari could not fill in the online form.
On November 14, the MAT directed the State government to create a third option for transgenders in the application form for all recruitments, under the Home department. The tribunal also said the government should fix a criterion for physical standards and tests for transgenders.
