Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has declared the inclusion of transgender children in schools across the capital of India.

With the inclusion, transgender children will now be eligible for 25 per cent reservation under the economically weaker section (EWS) and disadvantaged students for admission into city schools.

Jung said: “In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause D of Section 2 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 (35 of 2009) (RTE Act), the Lt-Governor of Delhi is pleased to notify inclusion of a ‘transgender’ child within the meaning of ‘child belonging to disadvantaged group’ as defined in the said section of the RTE Act applicable to all schools situated within the National Capital Territory of Delhi,” said the notification issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE).

According to a Delhi government official, the Health Department will be issuing the required certificate to make sure the gender and admission to schools will comply with the new rules.

A Census in 2011 revealed that there are around 4.9 lakh transgenders in India.

Inclusion of transgender children in the disadvantaged group come after Delhi University’s decision to acknowledge transgender students by introducing a third gender category in its application form in order to become trans inclusive by 2015.