The Kerala government's 2018 decision to reserve seats for transgender students in arts and science colleges in Kerala was expected to provide huge educational opportunities for members of the sexual minority.

Since then, 28 students have enrolled for various undergraduate and post-graduate courses. A year later, the euphoria appears to have died down as many of them are contemplating to discontinue studies because of financial difficulties and discrimination.

“I have not received the government scholarship though I applied for it six months ago,” said Rana, an undergraduate student in history at the Government Arts College in Thrissur. “I don't think I can complete the course without the scholarship,” she said.

Her transgender class-mate Charunethra – who is also mulling to discontinue her studies - accused the officials of the transgender justice board of delaying the scholarship distribution.

In the last six months, Rana and Charunethra visited the board office in Thrissur many times, but their pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

During one of the visits, an official told them that their files were not sent to Thiruvananthapuram. Enraged by his reply, the duo demanded an explanation. "But the official threatened that he would hold the file forever. There is hardly anyone to support our cause," Charunethra said.

Rana and Charunethra are the only two transgender students at the Government Arts College in Thrissur. Apart from the financial crisis, they face discrimination at the campus.  Their batch-mates never speak to them. Girls frown at them when they enter washrooms, while boys look at them with contempt when they walk through the corridors. “The campus atmosphere is quite humiliating,” Rana said.

Dropout data

Unable to cope with financial constraint and hostile college environment, many transgender students have already said goodbye to studies, government data has revealed.

The transgender cell of the Kerala Social Justice Department received 17 application for the higher education scholarship in 2018. But the number dwindled to 11 in 2019. This means that seven students have dropped out of college in the last two years.

Twenty-two-year-old Praveen Nath is one among them.

Praveen joined an undergraduate course in English language and literature at Maharaja's College in Ernakulam in 2018. But he discontinued studies because of financial constraints. “Now I am waiting for a sponsor to fund my education and medical needs,” he said.

Praveen said he never faced humiliation on the campus. “Everything was perfect at Maharaja's College, though it does not have transgender-friendly washrooms. But the financial crisis did me in,” he said.

Even more shocking, perhaps, was the fact that a few college dropouts have turned to sex work. “There is no place to stay, nothing to eat and no one to support. Education is too luxurious a dream for me,” said a student, who left college, on condition of anonymity.

The problem is not limited to colleges. Members of the community, who cleared Class 10 and Class 12 examinations through Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA), are facing an uncertain future.

Asma Rose said no one offered her a job despite clearing the Class 12 examination. “After passing Class 10 examination, I had sought jobs as a data entry operator and salesperson in Thiruvananthapuram, but no one gave me a chance. How can I hope to get a job after I clear plus-two equivalence? It is better not to waste time again. The society still discriminates against the transgender community,” she said.

No study by transgender cell

The transgender cell of the Kerala Social Justice Department, however, seems to be least bothered about the issue. The project officer Syama S Prabha said the cell has not conducted studies on the drop out issue. “We haven't conducted case studies on the students who discontinued their courses,” she said while refusing to accept that there was a flaw in the policy.