New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred till next week the hearing of a plea seeking reservation for transgender candidates in postgraduate medical courses.
A bench led by Chief Jus tice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran was hearing the matter when senior advocate Indira Jaising requested that 2 seats each under the all-India and state quotas be kept vacant for the petitioners. The bench, however, refused, noting that counselling for admissions had not yet begun.
“We cannot keep seats everywhere in limbo. You are saying two seats in all-India quota, two in state quota. Counselling has not started. We will keep this matter for next week high on board,” CJI Gavai said.
The case, Kiran A.R. and Others vs Union of India, seeks implementation of reservation benefits for transgender candidates in PG medical admissions. The plea relies on the Supreme Court’s landmark 2014 NALSA judgment, which recognised the rights of transgender persons and upheld their entitlement to affirmative action.
During the proceedings, Jaising clarified that the lead petitioner, Kiran A.R., had withdrawn, and only petitioners 2 and 3—belonging to the OBC and general categories—would pursue the plea.
Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave, appearing for the Union government and medical authorities, told the court that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta wished to person ally address the larger issue of transgender reservation.
