Guwahati: Two Assam universities-Dibrugarh University and Birangana Sati Sadhani Rajyik Vishwavidyalaya–announced admissions for transgender students to post-graduate (PG) programmes, diploma and certificate courses.
While Dibrugarh University has opened a PG course in Master of Social Work for transgender students, the Birangana Sati Sadhani Rajyik Vishwavidyalaya has opened seven courses in various subjects.
“As we have been engaging with the Centre for Social Work Studies, Dibrugarh University for some time, we welcome the most needed steps for this gender inclusion in the centre,” Rituparna, a queer rights activist told EastMojo.
“The centre has been taking different steps from time to time for inclusion and this step will bring positive change in the entire higher education scenario in Assam. As I see education as a key way for the empowerment of my community, this will give more hope to our community. Thanks to Dibrugarh University for this much-needed step,” Rituparna added.
When contacted, Dr Monuj Dutta, Assistant Professor, Centre for Social Work Studies at Dibrugarh University said, “This is something we should do. There is hardly any applicant for the course from the transgender community, so we submitted a proposal to include the transgender students for the course and it was approved. Eligible candidates can take up the course and benefit through it”.
He also informed that the Centre for Social work studies has already introduced gender neutral restrooms in the building a few years ago. “Although this course is a self-financed programme, we are waving off tuition fees for the category. This is a bid towards making the institute more inclusive and to make other students more sensitive,” Dutta added.
He hoped all other departments and institutions would take similar initiatives.
As per a “special admission” notice issued by Dibrugarh University, online applications have been invited from eligible Transgender candidates for admission into the Master of Social Work (MSW) Programme for the Academic Session 2023-2024.
The programme consists of four semesters with a total duration of two academic years. The online application closes on August 8 at 11:59 PM.
In another notification, the Birangana Sati Sadhani Rajyik Vishwavidyalaya, a state university, announced its decision to reserve three seats for the transgender category in seven courses.
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The courses provided for transgender students in the university are PG in Assamese, English, Economics, Political Science, and Sociology, PG Diploma in Computer Application, and Certificate in Computer Application.
For the Birangana Sati Sadhani Rajyik Vishwavidyalaya, the last date for application to the courses is August 7.
Also read: HC mandates Assam to set up transgender welfare board