A Union government proposal to remove transgender people’s right to a self-perceived gender identity and redefine “transgender person” was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (March 24, 2026). | Photo credit: ANI
A Union government proposal to remove transgender people’s right to a self-perceived gender identity and redefine “transgender person” was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (March 24, 2026).
A bill introduced earlier this month to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019 proposes changes to the identification of transgender individuals, the process for obtaining a transgender certificate and compliance requirements for health facilities that can perform gender-affirming care procedures.
The bill, introduced by Social Justice Minister Virendra Kumar, has been met with opposition and protests across transgender communities across the country, many of whom have come together in protests, public meetings and campaigns to write to public representatives over the past week. Community representatives who are members of the government’s National Transgender Council said the body had not been consulted about the changes.
Last week, the minister was absent from a meeting called by social justice officials, citing a “personal emergency,” and ministry officials told NCTP representatives that the government did not believe there was a need to consult on the amendments, citing “false transgender people” as one of the reasons for narrowing the definition.
In a revised list of business announced on the Lok Sabha website on March 24 (Tuesday), the government proposed to move the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 for consideration and approval in the lower house.
In the bill, the government said the “existing vague definition” of transgender people “has made it impossible to identify truly oppressed persons to whom the benefits of the law are intended to reach.” He added that the law was never intended to protect “persons with different gender identities, self-identified sexual/gender identities, or gender fluidity.” It said the policy “was and is” to protect “only those who face serious social exclusion due to biological reasons through no fault of their own and no choice of their own”.
The bill also introduced the terminology of an “authority”, which would be a medical board set up by the government. This “authority” is also supposed to make recommendations to the District Magistrate to issue a transgender certificate. The bill also proposes that DMs be empowered to decide whether a transgender certificate is “necessary or desirable”. It also orders medical institutions performing gender confirmation procedures to share their data with district administrations.
Published – 24 March 2026 01:02 IST
