In what can only be described as an amazing feat, the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is gearing up to open the country’s first ever ‘Transgender University.’
Yes, you heard that right! The foundation stone for this university for the transgender community was laid recently in the presence of BJP MP Ramapati Ram Tripathi.
India’s First ‘Transgender University’
This initiative is being pushed forward by the Akhil Bhartiya Kinnar Shiksha Seva Trust (All India Transgender Education Service Trust). The university is planned to be built in Fazilnagar block of UP’s Kushinagar district.
The university is aiming to facilitate the education of the members of the trans community, right from class 1 to Post-Graduation (PG). There are even plans to introduce courses that would allow students to do research and get a PhD degree.
According to the President of the trust, Dr. Krishna Mohan Mishra, 2 children brought up by the community will be given admission from January 15 next year. Subsequently, by February and March, the other classes would also begin.
The Power Of Education & The Educationally Impoverished
I remember reading somewhere that ‘Education is the passport to the future.’ No other words could aptly sum up the power that education holds to enrich not just individuals but an entire civilization as well.
That being said, it is also an undeniable fact that our country is home to a lot of people who are deprived of this basic necessity. This is especially true when it comes to the transgender community.
The trans community in India is among the most marginalized groups in the country. Lack of recognition and adequate support from both the private and public spheres of life have only worsened this scenario.
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This in turn affects their access to proper education, which at the end, affects their chances of getting employed. This is one of the reasons why a lot of trans people are forced to take to begging and prostitution.
The Importance Of The Transgender University
It is in this context that India’s first transgender university becomes a ray of hope for the entire community. By providing educational opportunities right from primary school level, the university is giving proper direction to the lives of trans people in India.
Moreover, the university is also planning to introduce professional courses for its students so that every student will be able to have professionally colourful lives by the time they graduate.
A ‘Sea Change’ That Is Most Welcome
For a community that has been largely marginalized throughout history, this new initiative could prove to be the catapult to a bright future. Mahamandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi of the Kinnar Akhara emphatically stated that they (trans people) shall now have a life “beyond singing and dancing at weddings,” thanks to this new initiative.
An empowering idea that is going to bring happiness to a lot of people and to the whole country as well; that’s what India’s first ever transgender university is all about!
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The New Indian Express, Business Insider, India Today
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