Noor Shekhawat: First transgender of Rajasthan to get Jan Aadhaar card

JAIPUR: Noor Shekhawat – a first year student at the Rajasthan University – became the first transgender in the state to have a Jan Aadhaar card issued in her name.

Confirming the development, Sitaram Swaroop – the joint director of Jan Aadhaar – stated that at present 98% state residents – around 8 crore – have Jan Aadhaar cards.

“However, this is for the first time that we have issued a Jan Aadhaar card in the name of a transgender. Noor Shekhawat had met us a few days back with a request for a Jan Aadhaar Card. We took up the issue with our IT teams, changed the provisions in the system and issued the card. Noor would now be able to avail government benefits like Chiranjeevi medical scheme and free ration under the National Food Security Act. In a way, we can call Noor a crusader for transgenders. Because, now others like Noor can apply for Jan Aadhaar card,” Swaroop told TOI.

31-year-old Noor, who took admission in BA degree course at the Rajasthan University this year, was part of a Jan Aadhaar card issued in the name of her family.

However, after Noor’s family disowned her, she had gone to Udaipur along with a team of eunuchs. Noor’s area of operation was Udaipur.

“I had left studies after completing my Class XII in 2011. Recently, I came back to Jaipur, took admission in Rajasthan University and decided to apply for a Jan Aadhaar card. But I drew a blank at the e-mitra centres who said that there’s no provision for transgenders in the system. After visiting a few windows for Jan Aadhaar, I finally met the joint director and he helped me procure a Jan Aadhaar card,” stated Noor.

Noor’s Jan Aadhaar card was officially issued on Thursday. However, she received an e-copy of the card from the Yojana Bhawan on Friday.

Courtesy : TOI

Note: This news piece was originally published in timesofindia.com and used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Right