CASE: Mx Sumana Pramanik @ Suman Pramanik v. The Union of India and others
CORAM: Hon’ble Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya
Last week, the Calcutta High Court took notice of the patent disparity in the Joint CSIR-UGC NET Examination’s eligibility requirements with those of the UGC-NET Examination. Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya’s heard the plea of one Sumana Pramanik, who argued before the Court that the eligibility requirements of the UGC-NET Examination led to such discrimination.
Noticeably, it was submitted to the Court that the eligibility requirements of the UGC-NET Examination provide for the benefit of reservations and allied benefits for transgender persons, while that benefit is not available for the Transgender Community in the case of the Joint CSIR-UGC NET Examination. Counsel for the petitioner relied on the National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India and others (2014) 5 SCC 438, in which the Supreme Court laid down certain guidelines.
The Directives contained directives for the Centre and the State Governments to take action to treat “third-gender members” as citizens of backward social and educational groups and to apply all kinds of reservations in cases of admission to educational institutions and public appointments.
The Court noted having heard the parties,
“Prima facie, it appears that such direction of the Supreme Court as well as the basic tenets of equality, enshrined in the Constitution, was violated by such exclusion”.
The Court adjourned the matter until February 1, 2021, however, because the counsel appearing for the UGC prayed for some time to take appropriate directions.
