Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU), a University based in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, has announced that it will provide free education to transgender people taking admission under any of its affiliated institutions. The university has 102 colleges affiliated to it in the Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari districts, according to information on Wikipedia.

The New Indian Express reports that the decision was taken recently and according to the resolution adopted “over and above the sanctioned students’ strength for various undergraduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) courses granted by the Standing Council for Academic Affairs, one seat would be allotted to a person from the transgender community in each course in their university and affiliated colleges.”

Besides, the University has decided that it will also construct separate toilets for transgender people in all the institutions under it. This will make it the second university in India to construct separate washrooms for transgender students. Gaylaxy had earlier reported that Panjab University in Chandigarh has started construction of separate toilets for transgender students.

Sukhdeep Singh