Anna University has included ‘transgender’ as an option in the ‘Application for change of photographs in certificates’.
The change followed a demand from a candidate who wished to be referred to as a ‘transgender’ instead of ‘male’ or ‘female’.
The candidate, Arun Karthick, shared his experience on Instagram on Wednesday. He said: “Yesterday Anna University issued my grade sheet and certificates after a long fight of four years. I had happy tears. It was a crucial fight,” he said.
The candidate said he had been checking the University website daily for it to update his certificate and mark sheets.
The application issued by Anna University, for change of photographs in certificates. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
On Tuesday, he was told that the change had been effected and the University also waived the name change fee of Rs. 13,000 and Rs. 3,500 for printing the altered certificate.
University sources said that this was the fifth candidate who wanted to effect a change in gender.
“Some three years ago a candidate had sought to change the gender and we changed it as per the person’s request. Usually such requests would come several years after their graduation. They would be for changing the gender from male to female or female to male and we have done this.
This is the first time that the candidate wanted to be referred as a transgender. We did not have such a provision. We told him to get a Court order. Since he had a magistrate’s order and in all the other government documents, including class 10 and class 12 certificates, bank passbook, voter’s ID and even Aadhaar card, it was mentioned as transgender his request was accepted,” a source said.
The University relied on the Government gazette to include transgender in the gender column in its application form as well, the source added.
