Kerala High Court Closes Law Aspirant's Plea For Transgender Reservation In Law Colleges After She Secures Admission

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (22 January) closed the plea by a law aspirant seeking reservation under the transgender category for admission to the Integrated Five Year LL.B Course in Government Law College, Kozhikode.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, closed the petition when it was informed that the petitioner has acquired admission at the Government Law College, Kozhikode

The petitioner, in her plea has submitted that she has appeared and secured the qualifying marks in the Kerala Law Entrance Examination that was necessary to be included in the rank list. However, she was not given admission in the college under the transgender category.

The plea further sought a direction to the government to implement reservation for transgender persons in admissions to all Government Law Colleges and other educational institutions under its control.

It was also submitted that the act of the law college in not providing a separate category/reservation slot for transgender candidates in its allotment list was stated as a violation of the petitioner's fundamental rights under Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India.

The Court has earlier sought Bar Council of India's  (BCI) stand on the matter, when it was informed that the State has proposed reservation of two supernumerary posts in the three-year LL.B. degree course as well as the five-year LL.B. programme in each law college in Kerala for the transgender category. 

Pursuant to this, the BCI has granted interim approval to add two supernumerary seats under Transgender category in all law colleges in Kerala.

Today, when it was informed that the petitioner has secured a seat at the Government Law College, Kozhikode, the Court closed the matter recording the same. 

Case Title: Esai Clara v State of Kerala

Case No: WP(C) 30999/ 2025

Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 45

Counsel for Petitioner: Raghul Sudheesh, Unnikrishnan S Thandiyaan, Umadevi M, Ambily T Venu, J Lakshmi

Counsel for Respondent - N Manoj Kumar (State Attorney), P G Pramod (Sr. GP), P C Sasidharan (Sc- Calicut University), Rajit (SC- BCI), Thomas Abraham (University of Kerala), Thushara James (SC- NUALS), Surin George Ipe (MG University), S P Aravindakshan Pillay (SC - CUSAT), I V Pramod (SC - Kannur University)