The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, has been passed by Parliament, with the Rajya Sabha approving it on March 26 after it cleared the Lok Sabha through a voice vote amid an Opposition-led walkout. The legislation received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on March 31.
The bill redefines the category of transgender persons, removing the provision of self-perceived gender identity and excluding several socio-cultural identities as well as transmasculine individuals from its ambit.
Replying to the discussion in the Rajya Sabha, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar said the government is committed to the welfare of the transgender community. He said the bill includes provisions aimed at empowering transgender persons and ensuring dignity, adding that the NDA government has taken several initiatives to bring them into the mainstream and curb discrimination.
UN Human Rights has expressed concern over the swift passage of the legislation, stating that the process lacked adequate stakeholder consultation.
“We regret fast passage of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, without adequate stakeholder consultation,” the organisation said.
The UN body warned that the amendments could undermine existing protections by replacing self-identification with mandatory medical verification processes.
“The amendments risk setting back hard-won rights of transgender people,” it said, adding that the changes could have far-reaching implications for the right to privacy and may risk marginalisation of transgender people.
“India has been a pioneer for rights of transgender & gender-diverse people. This Bill will have far-reaching impacts on right to privacy & risk marginalisation of transgender people,” the statement said.
