The Union Government has introduced a Bill in Parliament to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
The amendment redefines "transgender person" and drops the provision for self-perceived gender identity. The 2019 law had let people whose gender differed from their sex assigned at birth identify as transgender without compulsory medical procedures. Under the Bill, District Magistrates will issue transgender identity certificates on the recommendation of a medical board. It also prescribes specific punishments for offences against transgender persons, such as denying them access to public places or forcing them into labour.