Kochi, Nov 6 (NationPress) The Bar Council of India (BCI) has granted temporary approval to the Kerala government’s initiative to establish two additional seats specifically for transgender students in every law college throughout the state. This decision is being celebrated as a major advancement toward fostering inclusivity in the field of legal education.

This approval is a response to a directive from the Kerala High Court issued on October 24, which urged the BCI to evaluate and endorse the state’s proposal.

The Kerala government initially presented its proposal on August 6, requesting authorization to introduce extra seats under the transgender category in both three-year and five-year LLB programs.

During the proceedings on Thursday, Justice V.G. Arun expressed his approval of the progress achieved.

“It is encouraging to see that in accordance with this Court’s order dated 24/10/2025, the Bar Council of India has granted temporary approval for the Government of Kerala’s proposal to create two supernumerary seats in each law college for the transgender category for the academic year 2025–26,” the court remarked.

This development arose during the review of a petition filed by a transgender woman who had successfully qualified in the Kerala Law Entrance Examination (KLEE) 2025 and was eligible for admission to the Government Law College, Kozhikode.

Unfortunately, she was denied admission because there were no separate seats designated for transgender candidates in the allotment list prepared by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE).

The petitioner contended that this denial infringed upon her fundamental rights, as well as the Supreme Court’s NALSA ruling and the provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, which ensure equal access to education and prohibit discrimination.

She requested the court's order to secure her admission under the transgender category and to guarantee that similar reservations are enforced across all government law colleges and universities in the state.

Following the BCI's submission, the petitioner’s attorney informed the court of their intention to include all law colleges and universities in Kerala in the case, highlighting that only the University of Calicut had been referenced thus far.

The court has scheduled the matter for further review on Friday, November 7, to provide appropriate directions. “Let this be beneficial to others as well,” Justice Arun commented.