Provisionally admit transgender student, Karnataka HC tells NLSIU

The high court on Tuesday directed the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) to grant provisional admission (subject to eligibility) to a transgender person in the three-year LLB course for the academic year 2023-24.

Justice Ashok S Kinagi passed this interim order on a petition filed by Mugil Anbu Vasantha.

Apart from seeking a direction for admission to the course, the petitioner has also prayed for the implementation of Karnataka State Policy on Transgenders, 2017.

The NLSIU had notified the three-year LLB course admission in January 2023 and the petitioner had appeared in the NLSAT-LLB entrance test.

Despite being a transgender person, the petitioner was not given any affirmative action either in the application process or the admissions process.  

In the interim order, it has been clarified that the admission granted will be subject to the outcome of the petition. The court said that government-recognized educational institutions have to provide reservations to transgender individuals in view of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act and corresponding Rules, 2020.