Rakshika Raj becomes India's 1st registered transgender nurse-midwife

Striving for the upliftment of her sex, Rakshika Raj - a transwoman nurse, on Friday, has officially been admitted as a 'registered nurse and midwife' by a Chennai court, according to ANI. Talking to ANI, she stated that she had been unemployed for over a year. She added that there was no transgender category for registration and had to petition in the courts.

India's first registered transgender nurse

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Netizens have welcomed Rakshika's achievement:

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Who is Rakshika Raj?

According to recent reports, Rakshika became the first transwoman to graduate as a nurse from Tamil Nadu’s Padmashri College of Nursing in July 2018. Reports state that inspite of being awarded the degree by Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit himself, Rakshika has been jobless for over a year. This was because the Tamil Nadu Nurses and Midwives Council (TNNMC) did not have an 'other' option under the gender field in their application to register Rakshika. She reportedly had to join the course as male, because the college did not provide that option in 2014.

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This lapse by the Tamil Nadu medical body was despite the 2014 Supreme Court order in National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) vs Union of India case where it ruled that transgender persons can apply for education and employment under the ‘other’ gender category. Reports state that Rakshika had subsequently filed a writ petition against state government demanding justice. In a major relief, the court reportedly ruled in her favour ordered the TNNMC to include a separate column under the female and male category for ‘transgender women and ‘transgender men’ in the state temporarily. This feature has been put in practice and Rakshika has been provided an opportunity to follow her dream on Friday.

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