Abstract

This project undertakes a large-scale quantitative and qualitative investigation into the lived experiences of transgender, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary persons in the Indian science ecosystem. Towards this goal, the study uses four key research methods: (a) applications under the Right to Information Act, 2005 to investigate the status of implementation of the legislative, judicial and policy documents that govern the access of transgender, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary persons to the Indian science ecosystem; (b) a policyscape approach to policy analysis to understand the effectiveness of the legislative, judicial and policy interventions that govern the access of transgender, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary persons to the Indian science ecosystem; (c) qualitative interviews and focus group discussions to understand the ways in which transgender, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary persons negotiate the Indian science ecosystem; and (d) a comparative historiography to understand and explicate the possibilities of political solidarity between different marginalised groups in the context of higher education in science in India, including caste-, gender- and disability-marginalised groups.