Kozhikode: Despite winning a gold medal at the Mr India (Transmen category), a gold medal at the South Indian Bodybuilding Championship (Transmen category), the Mr Kerala title four times (Transmen category), and several marathon titles, including the national level, Janvin Cletus remains unable to fulfil his dream of joining the National Cadet Corps (NCC).

Janvin has been fighting a legal battle for NCC membership for years. Despite proving his physical eligibility, he was denied admission solely because he is a transgender person.

The obstacle lies in Section 6 of the National Cadet Corps Act, 1948. Under the provision, women and men studying at any university in India are eligible for NCC membership. However, the Act does not recognise a transgender category, preventing students such as Janvin from joining.

In Janvin's case, the court had issued an interim order directing that a seat be kept vacant. After hearing the matter, it delivered its final judgment in November 2025. The court observed that the NCC currently recognises only two categories—male and female—and that this prevents the inclusion of transgender persons. It also directed that legislation be enacted to address the issue. However, as the required steps were not taken, an appeal was filed against the judgment.

How the legal battle began

Janvin approached the court in 2024 while he was a first-year undergraduate student at R. Shankar Memorial SNDP Yogam Arts and Science College, Koyilandy, Kozhikode.

After clearing all the required physical tests for NCC enrolment, Janvin appeared before the interview board and disclosed that he was a transman. He was then informed by officials that transgender persons were not eligible for admission to the NCC. 

He subsequently filed a petition before the Kerala High Court with the assistance of 'Disha', an NGO led by social activist Dinu Veyil.

Fight for a historic verdict

"At present, not just in NCC, transgender persons are also unable to join the armed forces in India. Hopefully, a historic verdict allowing transgender persons into the NCC will gradually pave the way for broader institutional changes," Janvin said.