India’s first out trans college principal joins state equality committee

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The first ever out trans college principal Manabi Bandopadhyay has now been appointed to a panel for new policy on trans issues.

Bandopadhyay became the first out trans college principal when she took charge of Krisnanagar Women’s College this month. 

Her appointment was significant as transgender people are often stigmatised in Indian society.

She has now been appointed to West Bengal’s transgender development board, a 13-member panel which seeks a new policy for the trans people in the state,

Minister of State for Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Sashi Panja, who heads up the panel announced that Bandopadhyay would be the new vice chair of the panel.

“We will meet her on Thursday and discuss the issues of the members of the third gender in totality to formulate a policy. We will work for the development in accordance with the Supreme Court’s guidelines,” Panja told IANS.

As well as dealing with “frequent complaints” about police treatment of trans people in the state, the panel will also deal with issues around gender reassignment surgery.