{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Gujarat Police Recruitment: High Court Issues Notice to State and DGP Over Separate Quota Plea for Transgender Candidates",
  "summary": "The Gujarat High Court has sought responses from the state home department and DGP over a petition seeking a dedicated category and separate cut-off marks for transgender aspirants in Class-3 police recruitment.",
  "content": "A legal challenge has emerged regarding the ongoing Class-3 recruitment drive in the Gujarat Police, calling for the establishment of a dedicated third-gender category and constitutionally compliant selection criteria for transgender candidates. Taking up the matter, the Gujarat High Court has issued formal notices to the state home department and the Director General of Police (DGP), seeking their stand by September 29.\n\nApplication Ambiguity and Progression Through the Female Category\nThe petitioner approached the court through advocate Hannan Qureshi, setting out the background of their application for the positions of unarmed constable and Police Sub-Inspector (PSI). When seeking guidance from the DGP office regarding how a third-gender applicant should fill out the recruitment form, officials advised applying according to the gender listed on the identity document. Because the petitioner's Aadhaar card indicated female, the registration was formally completed under the female category.\n\nProceeding under the female bracket, the candidate cleared both the Physical Standard Test (PST) and the Physical Efficiency Test (PET). However, in the subsequent written examination, the candidate scored 94 marks, while the cut-off for the SEBC female category was set at 98.5 marks. Following the publication of the final merit list on July 11, the aspirant requested authorities to evaluate the performance not under the male or female headers, but within a distinct third-gender classification.\n\nConstitutional Equality and the Landmark NALSA Framework\nFailing to secure that accommodation from recruiting officials, the candidate moved the High Court, asserting that limiting the recruitment framework exclusively to binary male and female options infringes upon Article 14 of the Constitution. The petition urges the implementation of the directives laid out in the Supreme Court's landmark NALSA judgment to ensure equitable public employment opportunities for gender-diverse individuals.\n\nThe plea further highlights that transgender individuals routinely encounter deep-rooted social stigma and structural hurdles, justifying tailored cut-offs or quota arrangements rather than direct competition against binary classifications. By omitting a dedicated cut-off list for third-gender participants, the recruitment authorities subjected the applicant to unconstitutional gender-based discrimination, leading directly to exclusion from the selection list.\n\nDocument Verification Deadline and Judicial Direction\nWith document verification scheduled to commence on September 30, the petitioner sought urgent interim relief from the court to participate in the scrutiny process under a distinct third-gender designation. Examples of inclusive recruitment frameworks implemented by other states were also cited during the hearing. Taking note of the statutory and constitutional issues raised, Justice Aniruddha Mayee directed the state home department and police leadership to submit their responses ahead of the deadline on September 29.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThis judicial proceeding could directly alter recruitment criteria and opportunities for third-gender candidates seeking public service careers.\n\n• Across India: The petition reinforces national demands to strictly implement the Supreme Court's NALSA rulings across all state-level recruitment drives. A judicial precedent here will compel other state recruitment bodies to delineate distinct categories and cut-offs for transgender applicants.\n• In Gujarat: Aspirants involved in the ongoing Class-3 police drive will see critical legal clarity before document verification begins on September 30. If the court mandates a dedicated selection bracket, the structural rules for all future police and civil service hiring in the state will become more inclusive.\n• For Aspirants: Transgender candidates may no longer be forced to choose binary male or female categories solely based on documentation details. This enables them to legitimately compete on merit under a recognized third-gender status tailored to their rights.\n• Administrative Impact: The state home department and recruitment board must re-evaluate physical benchmarks and written test merit thresholds to accommodate non-binary categories. Authorities are under strict court timelines to present their regulatory framework by September 29.\n\nWhy this happened\nThis legal conflict arose from the absence of a distinct third-gender classification and tailored cut-off marks in the police recruitment framework.\n\n• Procedural Ambiguity: Because application forms lacked dedicated third-gender options, officials instructed the candidate to proceed under the female designation listed on the Aadhaar card. Consequently, the candidate had to meet all testing metrics set exclusively for female applicants.\n• Merit Threshold Gap: Despite securing 94 marks in the written examination, the aspirant fell short of the 98.5 cut-off benchmark established for the SEBC female category. This triggered the formal demand for evaluation under an independent third-gender merit bracket.\n• Constitutional Inconsistency: The petition argues that restricting selection criteria to a binary structure directly violates the guarantee of equality under Article 14. Non-compliance with the Supreme Court's binding directives in the NALSA judgment forms the core legal contention.\n• Imminent Verification Deadline: With the document verification stage scheduled for September 30, the petitioner sought urgent judicial intervention to preserve selection rights, prompting the court to demand state accountability by September 29.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Which authorities received notices from the Gujarat High Court?\nThe High Court issued notices to the state home department and the Director General of Police, seeking their reply by September 29.\n\n2. Which positions did the petitioner apply for?\nThe petitioner applied for the posts of unarmed constable and Police Sub-Inspector in Gujarat Police.\n\n3. Under which category did the candidate undertake the tests?\nFollowing officials' advice based on Aadhaar details, the candidate applied under the female category and cleared the physical tests.\n\n4. What score did the petitioner secure in the written exam?\nThe candidate scored 94 marks in the written examination, whereas the SEBC female cut-off was set at 98.5 marks.\n\n5. Which legal precedents and constitutional provisions were cited?\nThe plea cited Article 14 of the Constitution guaranteeing equality, alongside the Supreme Court's directives in the landmark NALSA ruling.\n\n6. When is the document verification process scheduled to occur?\nThe document verification process is slated for September 30, and the petitioner has sought permission to participate under the third-gender category.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/gujarat/gujarat-police-bharti-men-tisare-jendara-ke-lie-alaga-kote-ki-manga-high-court-ne-sarakara-aura-dgp-se-manga-javaba-38338",
  "category": "Gujarat",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-25",
  "tags": [
    "Gujarat Police",
    "Police Recruitment",
    "Gujarat High Court",
    "Transgender Rights",
    "Government Jobs",
    "DGP"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}