Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 Introduced with Stricter Penalties and Medical Certification

Key facts

• Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) Virendra Kumar introduced the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, in Parliament on 13 March.
• The Bill proposes to remove the right to gender self-identification established by the Supreme Court (SC) in the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) v. Union of India (2014) case.
• It mandates the formation of a medical board headed by a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) or a Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) to recommend the issuance of identity certificates to the District Magistrate (DM).
• The definition of a transgender person is narrowed to include those with socio-cultural identities such as kinner, hijra, aravani, jogta, and eunuch, or persons with specific congenital biological variations.
• The Bill introduces a new category for individuals or children compelled to assume a transgender identity through force, deceit, mutilation, or surgical procedures.
• State and Union Territory (UT) representatives on the National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP) must now hold a minimum rank of Director in their respective departments.
• Kidnapping an adult to force a transgender identity carries a penalty of 10 years to life imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹2 lakh, while the same offence against a child attracts life imprisonment and a ₹5 lakh fine.
• Forcing an adult into begging or bonded labour as a transgender person attracts 5 to 10 years of imprisonment and a ₹1 lakh fine, increasing to 10 to 14 years and a ₹3 lakh fine for offences against children.
• According to the National Portal for Transgender Persons, a total of 32,424 transgender identity cards have been issued under the existing 2019 Act.