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Time of India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Campus Closet: Why Trans Students Stay Hidden And What DU Plans To Do About It
New Delhi: Despite introducing a "third gender" option in admission forms a decade ago, the University of Delhi (DU) is yet to see a single enrolment in its regular programmes from a transgender student. Officials say this reflects the stigma and hesitation many transgender individuals still face when openly declaring their identity. Most either apply under binary categories or opt for alternative study modes like the School of Open Learning. To address this gap and build a more inclusive campus, DU has set up a Transgender Resource and Training Cell (TRTC) under the Department of Adult Continuing Education and Extension. The cell will assist students identifying as transgender with admissions, offer counselling, promote infrastructure reforms such as gender-neutral toilets, and coordinate sensitisation campaigns across colleges to reduce dropouts and increase representation. Professor Ashutosh Kumar, head of the department of Continuing Education, under which the cell will operate, said TRTC will facilitate implementation of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 and Rules, 2020. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "We will support prospective and current students through admission-related assistance, name-change documentation, family or institutional challenges, and sensitisation workshops. The goal is to ensure equitable space for transgender persons," he said. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Kumar added that the cell also aims to sign MoUs with institutions like the National Institute of Social Defence, identify nodal officers in colleges, and connect with transgender communities through NGOs and HIV/AIDS organisations to create awareness about higher education opportunities at DU. Although the "third gender" option has been available on admission forms since 2015, uptake remains negligible. "We have received applications from around 100 such students so far, but either they did not want to officially identify themselves as transgender fearing discrimination, or they opted to study through the School of Open Learning," Kumar said. In 2018, 10-15 transgender applicants made inquiries at the admission centre but none enrolled. Last year, one student joined a postgraduate programme but did not disclose their identity publicly. "Several students approach us privately but choose not to reveal their identity due to fear of stigma," he added. A policy document prepared by the Transgender Resource Centre (TRC) highlights the urgency of institutional inclusion. According to the 2011 Census, India is home to 4.88 lakh transgender persons, including over 54,000 children under six. Delhi's transgender population stands at 4,213, with a literacy rate of just under 63%. Despite constitutional protections, TRC notes that transgender individuals face persistent discrimination, school dropouts, and barriers to employment. A 2017 Unesco study revealed that 60% of transgender students experienced physical bullying, over 70% suffered from anxiety and depression, and more than half skipped classes. A third dropped out entirely, and only 18% of incidents were reported to school authorities—of which action was taken in just over half the cases. The document further links low education levels with high-risk livelihoods, such as sex work, which increases exposure to HIV and other STDs. To combat these entrenched issues, the university's new transgender inclusion policy proposes a wide set of reforms spanning academic, administrative, infrastructural, and cultural spheres. Colleges will be encouraged to proactively identify transgender students, allowing them to submit affidavits and govt-authorised certificates to confirm identity. A confidential contact person in each institution will manage records and provide support. "Institutions must create a congenial academic ambience," the policy notes. All official forms and certificates will include the "transgender" option, though students may still identify as male or female if they prefer. Dedicated admission helpdesks, reserved seats, scholarships, hostel fee waivers, and even free admission are being proposed to improve access. Counsellors across colleges will receive training to handle the specific mental health needs of transgender and gender non-conforming students, while also promoting broader acceptance among peers, staff, and families. Anti-ragging committees will be mandated to protect transgender students specifically, and a dedicated grievance cell will deal with complaints of bullying or abuse. Participation in events like Transgender Remembrance Day and National Transgender Day will be encouraged across campuses. Infrastructure changes include the establishment of gender-neutral restrooms, access to tailored healthcare, and dedicated hostel facilities. A central Transgender Resource Centre will also be created to coordinate Equal Opportunity Cells and counselling centres across DU. Academically, DU plans to integrate transgender issues into undergraduate and postgraduate syllabi—covering biological, sociological, psychological, political, and constitutional aspects. It will also promote courses on gender and sexuality and encourage research projects that centre transgender experiences. TRC will spearhead sensitisation drives for teaching and non-teaching staff, and guide institutions on best practices. The policy has been drafted under the guidance of professor Rajesh, coordinator of TRC, with contributions from transgender rights activist Amrita Sarkar. "Creating an enabling and respectful space for transgender persons is not just about access—it's about dignity, rights, and the ability to thrive," said Professor Kumar. "Through this cell and policy, we want to ensure DU becomes a truly inclusive space.
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
Water and wealth: Here are the 10 richest suburbs in America
New York State, California and Texas are home to eight of the 10 wealthiest suburbs in America, according to a new ranking drawn from Census data. The nation's wealthiest suburb is Scarsdale, in New York's leafy Westchester County, with an average household income of $601,193, according to an analysis released July 16 by the personal finance site GOBankingRates. The Westchester suburb of Rye ranks second, with an average household income of $421,259. No two suburbs are alike, but the cities near the top of this ranking share some features in common. Many are on the water, or near it. Several are college towns. Affluent suburbs tend to sit a good distance from the urban center, but close enough for a sane commute. 'You can stay in your bubble, but also get out of your bubble and still get the things you need,' said Rudri Patel, a senior financial expert at GOBankingRates. The ranking is based on average household incomes for suburbs of at least 5,000 households, according to the 2023 American Community Survey. If you don't see your favorite wealthy suburb on the list, that may be the result of statistical choices that shaped the results. This GOBankingRates ranking considers mean household incomes, which can be skewed by the ultra-rich. Other rankings have looked at median incomes, which are often lower. By median income, the wealthiest U.S. city is Sammamish, Washington, a Seattle suburb, according to a U.S. News analysis. The median household income in Sammamish is $238,750. Some wealthy suburbs were too small for the GOBankingRate ranking. The Chicago suburb of Kenilworth and the Washington, D.C., suburb of Chevy Chase, for example, have fewer than 5,000 households each. Here are the 10 wealthiest suburbs in America Here are mini-profiles of the 10 wealthiest suburbs in America. Here are the richest suburbs of other big cities Don't see your city or suburb on the Top 10? Here are some other wealthy suburbs attached to big metros.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Meet Jim Chalmers: The only person in Australia who is 'relaxed' about the nation's housing crisis
It must be nice to be relaxed about Australia's housing crisis. That's what Jim Chalmers assured us he felt following leaked Treasury advice saying Labor's housing construction goal of 1.2 million homes by 2029 is set to fail. He must be the only person in the country who's relaxed about the housing crisis. Renters aren't relaxed. They were dealt more bad news that even a limited, disingenuous version of their dream - seas of cheap houses in far outer suburbs - wasn't going to be delivered either. More than 30 per cent of dwellings in Australia are rented, according to latest Census data. In most of these dwellings live people who want to achieve the Australian dream of ownership. They know that if they want to own, their options are to either beat out scores of other renters for overpriced shoeboxes in the major cities or pack their bags to head to areas far beyond where they want to live. Or to just resign themselves to keep renting forever. Both major parties know this, and yet are completely unable to put together a policy that solves the problem. They've got their big bold visions - 1.2 million new homes by 2029 if you're Labor and the ability to dip into your super if you're Liberal. Except that number of homes has no chance of being built and letting one renter dip into their super lets everyone else do it too, not bringing down the price of homes. So when their bold ideas for the future are exposed, the parties move on to their chosen scapegoats. Young people can't afford houses because of boomers hoarding property if you're on the left, or because unchecked migrants take all the new homes if you're on the right. That can keep people on side for a while, because it 'feels right' - it reflects the narrative different political sides have of what's ailing our country. On surface level, Labor should be congratulated for at least identifying that the problem is a lack of supply. Except fixing our housing crisis will take much more than a loud promise delivered in the lead up to an election - and one with a convenient due date that comes in at a time Albanese and Chalmers are not likely to be in their current roles. The staggering truth is that it is too hard to build property in Australia, despite the incredible demand for it. The ABS have said in the 12 months to March 31, 179.000 dwellings were built. For us to get to 1.2 million homes by 2029, we need to be building 240,000 dwellings a year. But don't worry, Jim Chalmers is relaxed about it. Master Builders Association CEO Dentia Wawn told Sky News Business Now that 'the private market has simply said it is too costly to build' in Australia, and that 'we've got a productivity issue that we need to address'. Demand for housing in Australia is so high that Sydney is the second most expensive city in the world to buy property in, according to Canstar. Melbourne is the seventh. And yet instead of being a lucrative business fighting off new entrants to market with a stick, it is too expensive for the private market to build in Australia. Figuring out why this is the case is of utmost importance. Which NIMBY laws skyrocketing the costs of development in inner city areas need to go? What regulations preventing housing being built in suburbs need to be repealed? It's a mammoth problem that will take years to overcome. It is going to take monumental focus and effort from our political leaders, all the while being watched by increasingly desperate renters getting angrier and angrier. But that's all OK, because Jim Chlamers is relaxed about it. James Bolt is a contributor
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Calf dies of suspected dog bite, about 1,000 villagers take anti-rabies shot over two days
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Mass panic gripped Marola village in Paithan tehsil of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district after a calf, bitten by a stray dog last month, died a couple of days ago with symptoms of rabies. Following the incident, rumours spread that the cow, which nursed the infected calf, might also have contracted the rabies infection, thereby contaminating its milk consumed by several households in the village. Fearing possible rabies transmission through the milk, a large number of people rushed to the govt medical facilities starting Friday morning, continuing on Saturday, to get vaccinated. As the number of people swelled hourly, the hospitals quickly ran out of anti-rabies injections, forcing authorities to direct people to nearby primary health centres. Moreover, several villagers who, in the past few days, purchased curd from the cow's owner, also panicked, resulting in the number of people seeking the anti-rabies shot increasing until late Saturday. Local health authorities are now trying to dispel the misinformation that rabies can be transmitted through cow's milk. "Rabies primarily spreads through the saliva of infected animals via bites or open wounds. The risk from milk is extremely low. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This £59 Potable AC Cools Any Room In Seconds AiraBreeze Learn More Undo Once the milk gets boiled, the infection is eliminated," said Bidkin medical superintendent Dr Vijay Dalvi. He urged residents not to panic and to rely on verified medical guidance. Marola village sarpanch Sunita Jadhav, while confirming the incident, said, "There is a mass panic in our Marola village. We are going to write to the district administration asking them to ensure there is no shortage of anti-rabies vaccine. According to the register we have maintained, close to 600 villagers have already taken the vaccine in the past two days from different medical facilities." She added that the villagers are queuing up at medical facilities at the Bidkin rural hospital, Nilajgaon primary health centre (PHC), govt medical college and hospital (GMCH), and even to private medical facilities. According to the last Census, the village had a population of 1,745. When contacted, Bidkin rural hospital's medical officer Dr Pranita Mhatre said, "Since Friday morning, people from Marola village have been coming to our hospital. At least 1,000 people have visited the medical facility. We cannot deny them service and, therefore, have given them single shots. Secondly, there is also a phobia surrounding the issue. Giving a single shot of the vaccine addresses it." Nilajgaon primary health centre's Dr Bhushan Agaj told TOI, "After surveying the village, we found that the dog bite took place about a month ago and the calf's owner took it to a quack for treatment. The calf died a couple of days ago. The cow's milk was consumed by 114 villagers. On learning about the calf's death, panic gripped the entire village." He added that on Saturday, several people were counselled and convinced not to take the vaccine when they had not faced any direct or indirect exposure to the calf or the infected dog, which was also killed by the villagers. "We have never witnessed such panic. People are lining up in hundreds, worried that they might have contracted the virus through the consumption of milk," said a hospital official, adding that supplies of the vaccine are falling short due to the unexpected rush. The panic stems from a similar incident that occurred in the village last year when a man reportedly died of rabies. The traumatic memory of that incident has only added to the anxiety this time. Meanwhile, veterinary officials have assessed the health of the cow in question and reported that there are no symptoms of rabies in the cow.
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Jharkhand Cong initiates process to set up panchayat-level committees
Ranchi, Jul 19 (PTI) Jharkhand Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh on Saturday said the party has initiated a process to set up committees at the panchayat level. He said block-level committees have already been set up. 'There will be 12 members in a panchayat committee, comprising president, two vice presidents and nine general secretaries," Kamlesh said, addressing the party's 'Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan' (organisation rejuvenation campaign) and training programme here. Kamlesh said mandal committees will also be set up once the exercise of constituting panchayat committees is completed, as the president of the panchayat committee will be a member of the mandal committee. The event was attended by block presidents, block observers and mandal presidents of Ranchi and Khunti districts, besides senior party leaders and state ministers. The party's appointment letters were also handed over to the newly appointed mandal presidents on the occasion. 'The block presidents, observers and mandal presidents will visit villages and speak to the people and elected members of panchayat committees to know about the issues. Constituting a panchayat committee is a tough task, as we have to find persons who are fully devoted to the Congress," he said. 'We held a workshop on PESA in Ranchi. A model PESA law will be implemented," he added. Kamlesh said that the party is also fighting for the inclusion of Sarna religious code in the upcoming Census. PTI SAN SAN ACD (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 19, 2025, 17:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
