Bihar’s first transgender sub-inspectors make history
Following years of struggle, three individuals from the transgender community have qualified as sub-inspectors in Bihar
In a first, three transgenders qualified the Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission (BPSSC) exam to become police sub-inspectors.
Earlier, following a Patna High Court judgment in 2021, the State government had asked BPSSC to recruit third genders into police services. The State Home department had also filed an affidavit before a two-member Bench of the Patna HC saying the government would post a sub-inspector and four constables from third gender category in every district of the State.
Over six lakh aspirants had appeared in the preliminary test of the exam held in December 2023 and the main examination was held in February 2024. The results of the exam were announced on July 9 and as many as 1,275 candidates qualified in the final list. This includes 822 men, 450 women, and the three transpersons.
Of the three new recruits, Manvi Madhu Kashyap is a transwoman while Rohit Jha and Bunty Kumar are transmen. All three transpersons have been students of the same coaching institute in Patna and their teacher Guru Rahman said he was proud of them.
“My life’s journey as a transgender has not been easy as I too had to face lot of public taunts because of my gender identity and my family had to suffer because of this as well. I had to move incognito in my own home district,” Madhu Kashyap, 23, who hails from Bhagalpur, said. She had to leave her house and remained in Patna for nine years without visiting her home. Two years ago, she also had to undergo a surgery and lost several months of preparation for the examination.
“I wanted to be a civil servant… an IAS officer. Instead, I cleared this exam to don the police uniform to become independent first,” Ms. Kashyap told mediapersons in Patna. “Now I feel happy and proud of my identity. One must not complain about one’s gender but sincerely try to achieve one’s goal,” she added.
“Now I plan to visit my village in police uniform to tell everyone that I’m not ashamed on being transgendered,” Ms. Kashyap said. Her family at home includes her two sisters, her brother, and her mother. Her father is no more. She explains the many difficulties she faced in getting an admission into a coaching institute for preparation of the BPSSC. “They simply refused to admit a transgender,” she said. Upon meeting Guru Rahman, she and two other transgenders were admitted into his coaching institute.
“She worked very hard for her studies and physical preparation for the examination and her hard work finally paid off. I’m also very much happy seeing all three third genders from my coaching institute to get through in the exam,” Mr. Rahman said.
Patna based transgender activist Reshma Prasad, who works for the social, economic, and educational betterment of the community through her organisation Dostana Safar, said, “I feel proud of Madhu and the other transgenders’ selection in the BPSSC. Their result will motivate other community members to achieve anything in their life through their hard work and dedication.”
As per the 2022 caste survey done in the State, the population of transgenders in Bihar is 825 (0.0006%). This is in contrast with the 2011 census reports which put the number at 40,827. Ms. Prasad has challenged the latest Bihar caste survey figures in court.
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