Number of transgender students rises to 150 from last year’s 100

PUNE: This year, a total of 150 students in Maharashtra have registered as ‘transgenders’ for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination 2020. This is the second year that the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has begun including the ‘transgender’ option under gender of the candidate.

“It’s certainly a very positive sign that children are coming out at such a young age. Considering the confusion and stigma that we faced when we came out around 15-20 years ago, I think 150 across the state is a good number,” said Sarang Punekar, who was the first transgender student to study at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).

She added, “Earlier, after people came out, they faced a lot of confusion. However, I believe that exposure to information through internet has made the process easier than before, which might be the reason why more people are able to identify as transgender at a younger age.”

While the board had received over 100 candidates each for Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) as well as Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations registered under ‘transgender’ category last year as well, Chairperson Shakuntala Kale had expressed concerns that the figures might not be accurate.

“Many schools and students, while filling out the form, told us that they had made mistakes while selecting the gender. However, since we could not get a verified information from the schools, we cannot say for sure how many students could have actually registered as transgender,” Kale had stated at the time.

However, when enquired now, it has been clarified by the board that no changes were made by the students in the gender at the time.