AAI To Recruit Transgender And Down Syndrome-affected People

With its initiative of 'Project Equality', the Airports Authority Of India is all set to appoint transgenders and Down Syndrome-affected people in airports across the Northeast region. The initiative aims at minimizing discrimination at the workplace.

Key Takeaways:

• The Airports Authority Of India has decided to appoint transgenders and Down Syndrome affected people in airports across the North-Eastern region.
• The initiative aims at minimizing inequality at the workplace through Project Equality.
• Currently, one Transgender person works at the Imphal Airport and the initiative aims at bringing more transgender people into the mainstream.
• At present, there's no such airport in the country which employs people with Down Syndrome.

The Airports Authority of India has also put forth that they have set a target to recruit at least one transgender executive at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport at Agartala.

Also Read: Kerala Govt To Fund Transgender People's Sex Change Surgery

Project Equality To Minimize Discrimination At Workplace

“Our Project Equality targets to bring the transgenders at airport jobs. In the Northeast region, we have one transgender employee at Imphal airport. We have targeted to bring more transgenders into the mainstream at airports,” AAI Northeast Regional Executive Director Sanjeev Jindal told the media at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport at Agartala during a program of ‘Equality Awareness Program’ on Thursday.

Regarding the employment of people with Down Syndrome, Jindal said, “There is no such airport in the country having people with Down Syndrome working till now. But I want to say they are very good at repetitive jobs like retrieving trolleys. We have a plan to appoint such people in airports.”

Target Of Recruiting Atleast One Transgender Executive

The Airports Authority of India has also put forth that they have set a target to recruit at least one transgender executive at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport at Agartala. The authority also added that they will be seeking help from third party human resource providers for the same. In total, there are around 12 airports in the Northeast region.

Also Read: Lawyer Jayna Kothari Fought Sec 377 For Transgender People

Other Areas Where Transgender People Are Being Considered For Recruitment

Many departments in both the government and private sectors are opening their gates for the transgender community. The most recent development took place in Uttar Pradesh where India's first University for transgender people is all set to be established. The foundation stone for the University was laid down recently in the presence of BJP MP Ramapati Ram Tripathi. This university will be solely for the transgender community and the initiative is being pushed forward by Akhil Bhartiya Kinnar Shiksha Seva Trust (All India Transgender Education Service Trust).

In line with this, Five members of the transgender community have been appointed as security guards at an Odisha hospital. They work at the Labour Room and Pre and Post Mental Care Units of the hospital.

Also, in a first for Madhya Pradesh, Sanjana Singh, 36, a transgender person, in March 2019 took over the responsibilities as the personal secretary to the director of social justice and disabled persons welfare in the state. Krishna Gopal Tiwari, Director, Department of Social Justice and Disabled Welfare (DSJDW), Madhya Pradesh, made the appointed on March 1, 2019.

Picture Credit- Orissa Post

Also Read: Fifteen Transgender Women Tie The Knot In A Mass Wedding In Raipur