Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Tuesday July 7 released a notice on internal reservation for transgenders in all direct government job recruitment, with 1% of all vacancies reserved for transgenders in each category of General Merit, Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribe, and Other Backward Classes.

The Karnataka Civil Service (General Recruitment) Rules, 1977, have been changed to allow transgender people to be given preference.

Karnataka will use the definition of “transgender person” provided in the Union Government’s Transgender Person (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. A ‘transgender person,’ according to the Act, is someone whose gender does not match the gender assigned to them at birth. This includes transmen and transwomen, people with intersex variation, gender queer people, and people with socio-cultural identities such kinner, hijra, aravani, and jogta.

If a sufficient number of eligible transgender people are not available to fill 1% of seats, the vacancies should be filled by male or female candidates in the same category, according to the amendment.

During the hearing of a PIL petition filed by Sangama, a society working for the welfare of the trans community and Nisha Gulur, the draft of this notification was submitted to the High Court of Karnataka.