The Madras High Court has come down strongly on a medical college in Perambalur for withholding the certificates of a transgender MBBS graduate over disputed fee arrears. Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan, while hearing a series of writ petitions filed by Vignesh D., directed the college to return all original educational documents within one week and asked the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University to set up a grievance redressal committee for transgender students.
Background
Vignesh, a transgender student, secured admission to Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College under the Telugu minority management quota after clearing NEET-UG. According to the petition, despite paying the required fees, the college continued to demand additional amounts. More troubling, Vignesh alleged facing persistent discrimination during the five-year MBBS course, including denial of gender-neutral hostel accommodation and refusal of key certificates like the internship completion document and bonafide certificate.
The student completed the course and even received the degree certificate from the National Medical Commission, but the college withheld the original school certificates, citing arrears. These actions, the petitioner argued, violated not only the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 but also the Supreme Court’s landmark 2014 NALSA judgment which affirmed the right to dignity and identity for transgender persons.
Justice Ilanthiraiyan noted that educational institutions cannot treat students’ certificates as collateral for fee disputes.
“Since the educational documents are the valuable property of every student, the ninth respondent college ought not to have held them back,”
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On the issue of discrimination, the bench referred to statutory obligations under Section 3 and Section 13 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, which clearly prohibit any unfair treatment in education and mandate inclusive facilities. The court also highlighted the Rules of 2020, which require gender-neutral washrooms and grievance committees for transgender persons. “The absence of such a committee is a violation of the law,” the bench observed.
Interestingly, counsel for the college informed the court that it was now ready to waive the alleged fee arrears and return all documents without further conditions.
In its order dated September 8, 2025, the High Court directed Vignesh to approach the college within one week, after which the management must release all original certificates “forthwith by waiving arrears of fees.” Further, the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University has been instructed to constitute a committee accessible to transgender students within 12 weeks, as required under Rule 10(8) of the 2020 Rules.
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With these directions, the court disposed of all five writ petitions filed by the student.
Case Title : Vignesh D. vs Health and Family Welfare Department & Others
Case Numbers: W.P. Nos. 26062, 26065, 26068, 26071 & 26074 of 2025
