Introduction
The Parliament on March 25, 2026 passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 (hereinafter referred to as “the Bill”) with the Lok Sabha approving it with a voice vote amid an Opposition walkout.1 The Bill, now a statutory Act, seeks to redefine the category of transgender, removes the provision of self-perceived gender identity and excludes several socio-cultural identities as well as trans-masculine individuals from its ambit.2
Background of the Bill
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 13, 2026 with the aim to amend the some of the core provisions of the earlier Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights Act), 2019 (hereinafter referred to as “2019 Act”)