The Lok Sabha on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, by a voice vote amid an Opposition-led walkout. The bill removes the right of transgender people to self-determination of gender and adds a provision for a medical board to examine and determine a person’s gender, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from activists and several opposition leaders.
Members of Parliament from the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and CPI(M) walked out during proceedings; Congress whip Manickam Tagore said they left because they were “not satisfied with the reply” given by the minister handling the bill. Fifteen MPs took part in the debate, and 11— all from Opposition parties-objected to its provisions. Opponents argued the change contradicts the Supreme Court’s 2014 NALSA judgment, which recognised the right to self-identify, and described the bill as an “attack on Constitutional morality” and the “dignity” of transgender people.
Union Social Justice Minister Virendra Kumar defended the amendments, saying they aim to prevent adults and children from being “forced or compelled” to become or present as transgenders through hormone therapy or other interventions, and to strengthen punishments for crimes against transgender people. He and other NDA MPs portrayed the bill as a step toward empowerment and legal protection, with the minister asserting that transgender people will continue to get legal recognition and that “their rights will be fully protected.” The government notes the bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 13 and says it targets exploitation and misuse of gender identification.
Supporters argued the measure would curb fraudulent claims for future benefits; BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi warned that unrestricted self-identification could allow “anyone [to] snatch away rights with the help of self-identification,” and called the bill a “scientific approach” to prevent infiltration. NDA MPs also praised provisions criminalising the “compelling” of children or adults to present as transgender.
Civil society groups, transgender rights organisations and prominent community members have condemned the passage as an “injustice,” saying the medical-board requirement and removal of self-determination risk eroding hard-won legal recognition and may criminalise those who support vulnerable transgender people. Opposition leaders urged the government to withdraw the bill or refer it to a parliamentary committee for wider consultation; Rahul Gandhi called it a “regressive Bill” that “attacks the Constitutional rights and identity of transgender people.” The debate underscores deep divisions in Parliament over how best to protect transgender rights while guarding against abuse.
Original Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/transgender-bill-in-lok-sabha-government-hails-reform-opposition-criticism/article70780013.ece
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Publish Date: 2026-03-25 06:14:00
