Kochi, Nov 14 (NationPress) The Kerala High Court has instructed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to amend the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) certificate for transgender scholar Rithisha Rithu, ensuring it accurately displays her legally-recognized, self-identified name. This interim order will remain valid until the NTA completes the necessary corrections within two weeks.

Justice V.G. Arun issued this directive following a petition from Rithu, who is recognized as the first transgender woman in Kerala to be admitted to a Ph.D. program.

She sought judicial intervention after her JRF funding was halted due to a discrepancy between the name on her fellowship certificate and her bank account.

The petition asserts that Rithu formally updated her gender identity and name in January 2023, receiving a Form 3 certificate from the District Magistrate under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.

She applied for the UGC-NET examination administered by the NTA in May 2024.

As her academic records and Aadhaar had not yet been updated, she used her previous name in the application while indicating her gender as transgender/third gender.

After passing the exam in December 2024 and gaining admission to a Ph.D. program in Social Work, she opened a bank account under her self-identified name to receive fellowship funds through the UGC’s Scholarship and Fellowship Management Portal (SFMP).

However, her attempt to link this account was declined due to a “beneficiary name mismatch,” which obstructed the release of her fellowship funds.

The petitioner contended that the denial of JRF funds, her sole financial support for research, stemmed from institutional failure to acknowledge her legally updated identity.

She argued that this situation infringed upon her Fundamental Rights under Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Constitution and Sections 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 of the Transgender Persons Act.

Rithu's plea called for the UGC, NTA, and Canara Bank to promptly rectify the records, disburse the fellowship, and grant ₹25,000 as litigation costs.

During the hearing, the Court noted the confusion between the UGC and NTA regarding which agency was accountable for amending the certificate.

Justice Arun clarified that it is the responsibility of the NTA to make the needed corrections.

“The petitioner’s difficulties arise from her lawful change of name and gender. It is incumbent upon the National Testing Agency to implement the correction,” the Court stated, issuing the interim order.