Proposed amendments to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 could set back the rights of transgender people in India by almost a decade by diluting the principle of gender self-identification as recognized by the Supreme Court in the landmark case National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India, activists have warned.
An amendment recently introduced in parliament proposes changes to how transgender identity is defined and recognized by law. According to the proposal, recognition of transgender identity may require verification through official procedures, including a possible medical examination, before the authorities issue a certificate of identity. Activists say this shift towards medical or administrative verification undermines the principle of self-determination laid down by the Supreme Court in the NALSA judgment.
Published – 15 March 2026 19:08 IST
