The Maharashtra government has stated that all public universities in the state would provide free education to transgender students. According to an official statement made, Maharashtra’s public institutions have agreed to give free education to transgender students, as requested by the state administration.
During a meeting with vice-chancellors of state institutions, Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil instructed the universities to cover the complete tuition of transgender students from their finances.
“All vice-chancellors unanimously accepted the minister’s appeal (to provide free education to transgender students,” the statement said, adding that all such students will now be eligible for free education at these universities and allied colleges. Senior officials from the Higher and Technical Education Department attended the conference, which also considered progress under the New Education Policy (NEP).
PM-JAY has authorized 761 hospital admissions for transgender beneficiaries. Meanwhile, in related developments, S P Singh Baghel, Minister of State for Health, stated on Tuesday that 761 hospital admissions of Rs 1.12 crore have been authorized under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PM-JAY) for transgender beneficiaries through November 30.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has also been inked between the National Health Authority (NHA) and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) to extend the benefits of the PM-JAY to all transgender individuals, according to the MoS in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
According to the MoU, the transgender population receives healthcare benefits under the MoSJE’s SMILE (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) framework.
According to Baghel, every member of the transgender community who is registered on the national transgender site is eligible for free healthcare services at any PM-JAY accredited facility.
The government is executing the National AIDS Control Programme across the country, which is presently in its fifth phase. According to him, the transgender population is in the High-Risk Group (HRG) for HIV infection.
HIV testing and care are mostly offered to them through focused intervention initiatives, he continued, and the Link Worker Scheme is conducted through State AIDS Control Societies to lower new HIV infections.
All transgender people living with HIV/AIDS are offered free anti-retroviral treatment (ART) at ART centres as well as extra support services through care and support centres in a stigma-free and inclusive way by standards of care.
The National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) is being implemented across the country by the government. Mental health treatments are included in the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) Scheme’s complete basic healthcare package.
PM-JAY offers therapy for a total of 1,949 operations across 27 distinct specialities, 19 of which are associated with the “mental disorders” area. The National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) was established to promote access to high-quality mental health counselling and care throughout the country. According to Baghel, eligible persons, including those from the transgender community, are entitled to free healthcare treatment under the schemes.
