Taking a big step toward Gender Neutrality, The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) is set to become India’s first gender-neutral educational institution.
The institute has introduced a gender-neutral policy, according to which the law school would have gender-neutral hostels, leading the way for inclusive campuses for the LQBTQ+ community, of which there are a handful on campus. It also has a “Nalsar Queer Collective”
“We encourage self-identification wherein students can identify themselves without being recognised through the assigned genders. We would acknowledge the declaration by the students to respect their privacy and autonomy and would also keep it secure from their parents and guardians if need be”
Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor,NALSAR
Officials of NALSAR said that most Indian universities do not have gender-neutral spaces like washrooms and hostels.
As part of its policy, the law college will have gender-neutral hostels. This will make the way for inclusive campuses for the LGBTQ+community.
And also they have already earmarked the ground floor of girls hostel-6 as a gender-neutral space, with rooms allocated for students to self-identify as members of the LQBTQ+ community. The washroom on the ground floor of the academic block has also been made as a gender-neutral washroom.
Hyderabad law university creates gender-neutral spaces, drafts trans policy https://t.co/8UJfcLqwVw via @IndianExpress
— Faizan mustafa (@ProfFMustafa) March 26, 2022
The institute will have a non-discriminatory policy in which students will not be discriminated against on the basis of their dressing, hairstyle, etc. The scholarship of the students will appropriately accommodate people from the LGBTQ+ community.
Earlier in 2015, NALSAR institute issued a gender-neutral degree to a student who wanted to be identified not as Mr. or Ms. but as Mx. Anindita Mukherjee, a student at NALSAR has requested the University to issue her the certificates with Mx. as the prefix. Also, the certificates mention Anindita Mukherjee as “they” rather than “he” or “she”.
“Student participation has been central in my administration which is phenomenal. The policy while being drafted, is thoroughly being debated on while also inviting suggestions, after which the policy will be finalized. Few years ago we were the second University in the world, next only to University of Oxford – to remove ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’ from the degrees. At NALSAR, our student community are the primary stakholders who have the majority say in decisions taken. I appreciate and place on record the good work done by the Committee in introducing this policy and we are still open to suggestions“
Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor,NALSAR
