Telangana Doctor becomes first to bag PG medical seat under Transgender Quota

Hyderabad: After fighting a legal battle for around two years, a transgender doctor based in Telangana has finally bagged a PG medical seat under the transgender category.

The 29-year-old doctor, Ruth John Koyyala, had been fighting for her right to be granted a seat under the Transgender category by moving her plea to the Telangana High Court. Now she is set to pursue emergency medicine at ESI Hospital, Sanathnagar

Speaking to TOI, Ruth pointed out that her achievement not only shatters the glass ceiling but it also challenges the stereotypes about transgender people. Recalling her journey of knocking on numerous doctors and submitting more than 20 representations before several departments and ministers, she said that she finally got the due acknowledgement from the High Court of Telangana.

Ruth, who is at present working as a medical officer at Osmania General Hospital, also belongs to a scheduled caste family based in Khammam. "The HC heard my plea to reserve a seat for transgender people in NEET PG counselling," she told the daily.

Until now, other transgender doctors in the country have pursued postgraduate degrees in medicine by typically securing either a male/female seat or under the management quota. 

On the contrary, Ruth chose not following either of these two paths and underscored her commitment to her identity and the fight for equitable representation. Even though she was declared eligible for NEET PG admission in 2022, she denied to accept the offer as the concerned seat was designated for her as a female.

Also Read: NEET PG: Telangana HC Slams State for not registering transgender doctor under third gender category

However, her path to obtain a seat under the transgender category was not an easy one as she had to face multiple obstacles because of lack of reservation for trans-people in Telanagana at the time, which was in contradiction to the Supreme Court's 2014 order in the NALSA case.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported how Dr. Ruth took the matter before the Telangana High Court and sought a direction to the authorities to provide a separate category for transgenders other than women and general. Earlier this year, the HC bench had directed the authorities to consider the representation by the petitioner doctor and pass appropriate orders by duly taking the law laid down the Hon’ble Supreme Court in National Legal Services Authorities case.

Although the petitioner made a fresh representation before the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Commission said that since PGMER 2000 does not provide for reservation on the basis of gender, the petitioner could not be given a seat under the 'third gender' quota.

Challenging the NMC order, the petitioner doctor approached the Telangana High Court and sought reservations for transgenders in terms of the decisions of the Supreme Court in the National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India.

Finally, in June this year, the HC bench directed the State Government, the Central Government, and NMC to provide reservations under the transgender quota to NEET PG candidates seeking admission for post-graduate (PG) medical courses in 2023.

Also Read: Telangana HC recommends quota for Transgenders in NEET PG admission

Last month, the HC bench took note of the fact that despite the earlier court direction, the State did not instruct the counselling authority to register a transgender doctor under the 'third gender' category in the NEET-PG examination 2023. Taking note of this, the bench slammed the State.

Finally, Dr. Ruth has bagged a PG medical seat under the transgender category and commenting on this, she told the Times of India, "My dream is to become a gynaecologist as I want to serve my community members, many of whom avoid seeking medical care during and after their gender transition."

She plans participating in the second round of counselling for pursuing her dream of obtaining a gynaecology seat. She was given 35 choices for the first round of counselling, but was awarded her 16th option- emergency medicine.

Acknowledging her victory as the result of collective efforts, Dr. Ruth expressed gratitude to those who extended their support to her, including senior trans-activist Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, her legal team, and her colleagues.

"In fact, when I was allotted a seat at ESI, my first concern was the steep fee of 2.5 lakh for the year that I would have to pay. However, my hospital superintendent Dr B Nagendar promptly raised a request and several colleagues contributed, collecting 1 lakh. Some lawyers also pooled in funds, and the remaining 1.5 lakh was raised by the Helping Hands Foundation," she added.

Also Read: NEET PG reservation for Transgender candidates: HC issues notice to NMC