The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, which introduces graded punishment for offences causing bodily harm to transgender persons, has received the assent of President Droupadi Murmu.
According to a notification issued by the Law Ministry on March 30, the amended law will come into force on a date to be notified by the Central Government in the official gazette.
The legislation aims to strengthen protections for transgender individuals by clearly defining offences and prescribing varying degrees of punishment based on the severity of harm. It also seeks to provide a more precise definition of the term “transgender”.
However, the bill has triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties, which have objected to the exclusion of individuals with different sexual orientations, including gays and lesbians, from its ambit. The revised definition explicitly states that transgender persons do not include those with different sexual orientations or self-perceived sexual identities.
Another contentious provision is the establishment of an authority to determine whether a person qualifies as transgender under the law. Critics have argued that this undermines the right to self-identification and autonomy.
During debates in Parliament, the government maintained that the legislation is intended to protect a specific class of individuals who face severe social and cultural discrimination. It emphasised that the law is focused on safeguarding transgender persons and is not designed to cover all gender identities or sexual orientations.
Opposition leaders, however, demanded that the bill be referred to a parliamentary standing committee for wider consultation, arguing that the current provisions risk excluding vulnerable communities and limiting rights.
Despite the criticism, the bill has now become law, setting the stage for its implementation once the government notifies the effective date.
