Bill to amend trans rights law listed for consideration, passing in Lok Sabha on Tuesday

The Union government’s bill to remove transgender people’s right to self-perceived gender identity and redefine a “trans person” was listed for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

The bill, introduced earlier this month to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019, proposes changes regarding the identification of transgender persons, the procedure for obtaining transgender certification, and compliance requirements for medical institutions that can perform gender-affirming care procedures.

The bill, introduced by Social Justice Minister Virendra Kumar, was met with opposition and protests from transgender communities across the country; Many of them came together last week for protests, public meetings and campaigns to write to public representatives. Community representative members of the government’s National Council for Transgender Persons said the body had not been consulted on the changes.

Last week, at a meeting called by Ministry of Social Justice officials, the Minister was absent, citing a “personal emergency,” and Ministry officials told NCTP representatives that the government did not believe anyone needed to be consulted on these changes, citing “unreal transgender individuals” as one of the reasons for limiting the definition.

In the Revised Business List dated March 24 (Tuesday) on the Lok Sabha website, the government has proposed to move the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill (2026) for consideration and passage in the lower House.

In the bill, the government said the “current vague definition” of transgender people “makes it impossible to identify the actual oppressed people to whom the benefits of the Act are intended to reach.” He added that the law was never intended to protect “individuals with diverse gender identities, self-perceived sex/gender identities, or gender fluidity.” He said the policy “existed and still exists” to protect “solely those who face serious social exclusion for biological reasons through no fault of their own or choice”.

The bill also introduced the terminology of “authority”, which is a health board to be created by the government. This “power” is also intended to advise the District Magistrate on the issuance of a transgender certificate. The bill also proposes giving DMs discretion to decide whether transgender certification is “necessary or desirable.” Additionally, health institutions that carry out gender verification procedures are obliged to share their details with regional administrations.