Thiruvananthapuram, April 15 (IANS): Human right activists in Kerala Tuesday termed as "historic and revolutionary" a Supreme Court verdict treating transgenders as the third category and entitling them to resevations as backward classes.

Recongising transgenders as the third category of gender, an apex court bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice A.K. Sikri directed the centre and the state governments to include them for reservation in education and jobs.

Former CPI-M lawmaker Sebastian Paul said this was a very important judgement on transgenders.

"We have seen and heard about the ill-treatment meted out to transgenders because of the convention of human beings classified as male or female. They were treated as social outcastes. They will now get a new lease of life," said Paul, who is also a lawyer.

Social activist and advocate Kaleeshweran Raj termed the judgement "historic and revolutionary".

"This is a path breaking judgement and the road ahead is challenging to implement it," said Raj.