Karnataka: Dreams of 3 transwomen govt teachers turn sour

Litigation, stigma haunt state's first queer community teachers

In November last year, three transgender persons created history in Karnataka by becoming the first from the queer community to get recruited as government school teachers. 

Almost a year later, with the entire recruitment process stuck in litigation, the three transwomen are struggling to make ends meet. 

Of the 15,000 posts for which the recruitment process was held, the government had reserved 1% (150 posts) for transgender persons. A total of 13,363 candidates were selected. Ten transgender persons wrote the recruitment exam, which was cleared by Pavithra, Pooja and one more. 

Pavithra, 44, bagged the 4th rank in the selection list and relocated to Chikballapur where she was to take up her dream job as a government school teacher. 

“When I was in Bengaluru, I used to earn through private tuitions. But in this small town, tutoring is difficult as parents are not willing to send their children to me, now that I have been identified as a transwoman,” Pavithra said. 

A BA, BEd graduate with a diploma in computer science, Pavithra was selected to teach English for classes 6-8. “I am literally under depression. Other candidates have their families at least,” she said, adding that she borrowed money from a few friends to relocate to Chikballapur. “I am qualified to teach in other schools, but no one is willing to take me on board.”

Pooja’s story is no different. She relocated from Bengaluru to Raichur after recruitment. A social science teacher, Pooja is miserable.

“I chose the teaching profession mainly to lead a respectable life. It has been almost a year and I am losing hope in life with each passing day,” she said. Before recruitment, Pooja said she was forced to beg on the streets despite having a BEd degree. “I challenged myself and cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test,” she said. “I fear returning to my past life.” 

The high court has stayed the recruitment process after some married women candidates challenged the government’s insistence that they submit income details of their husbands and not fathers. Some candidates also moved court in connection with the Article 371(J) reservation.