Karnataka has been a pioneering state in India in recognizing and addressing the rights of the transgender community. In 2012, it introduced the Mythri scheme, one of the country’s first pension schemes for transgender persons. In 2017, the state formulated the Karnataka State Policy on Transgenders, 2017, which aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the community. While the policy has not been fully implemented due to organizational and political barriers, it has brought visibility to transgender issues and laid the groundwork for future legal advancements. Notably, it served as a precursor to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, the national legislation aimed at safeguarding the rights of transgender individuals. This blog explores the welfare schemes and policies introduced by the Karnataka State government which aim to support the transgender community.
As mentioned before, in 2012, the Karnataka Government introduced the Mythri Pension Scheme. The scheme currently provides for ₹1,200 a month for transgender individuals between the ages of 24 to 60 years earning less than ₹32,000/year. One of the main issues with this scheme is that the income bar for the pension is extremely high, and thus, very few individuals are realistically able to access it. Furthermore, there are serious implementational challenges, with reports of people having not received their pensions for months on end, or receiving only part amounts instead of the entire sum.
In a similar vein, the Karnataka Government also released its Gruha Lakshmi scheme in 2023, under which, ₹2,000 per month is provided to women heads of households who come from lower income backgrounds. After much advocacy by trans groups, the scheme has now been expanded to include transgender women under its scope as well. However, like with the Mythri Pension scheme, the implementation of this nascent scheme has been severely lacking.
In addition to these, there are other schemes of the Karnataka Government which provide financial assistance to transgender persons. The Karnataka State Women Development Corporation provides a one-time subsidy of ₹30,000 to encourage them to take up income generating activities and become self employed. The Yuva Nidhi scheme also provides ₹3,000 per month to degree holders, and ₹1,500 per month to diploma holders, who are unemployed. This scheme extends to all persons, but is of particular significance to the trans community, who face higher risks and rates of unemployment.
Karnataka is also the first Indian state to implement horizontal reservations of 1% for transgender persons in public employment. As the reservations are horizontal, 1% of candidates across caste categories shall belong to the transgender community.
Although this is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, the ability to access such reserved posts remains out of reach. Many people who have run away from their homes and thus do not have the required documentation to be considered eligible. For reservations in employment to be effective, it is critical that they be combined with concerted efforts to improve educational metrics amongst the community, at primary and higher levels. Despite Central Government scholarships existing, most underprivileged trans persons are unable to receive them.
Lastly, a scheme which has been at the forefront of the present Government in Karnataka is the Shakti scheme, under which women (including transwomen) can travel free of cost in government buses. Despite this, transwomen have reported being denied free transports based on the attire they wear. Bus conductors and drivers also often demand an Aadhar card with the gender stated as female, and do not accept transgender identity cards. Other stereotypes relating to the transgender community and identity also operate in the functioning of the scheme, and play a role in individuals being denied free transportation on multiple occasions. There is an urgent need for this critical issue to be addressed by the Karnataka Government and its corporations such as the BMTC and KSRTC.
Karnataka’s efforts to support the transgender community through various welfare schemes represent significant policy advances that have positioned the state as a progressive leader in India. However, the gap between policy formulation and effective implementation remains a critical challenge that undermines the potential impact of these initiatives. Realizing the true potential of these welfare measures will require sustained political commitment, adequate resource allocation, and most importantly, a systematic approach to addressing the deep-rooted social prejudices that continue to impede access to these schemes.
This blog is the second of a 2-part series written by our research interns, Amruthavalli B.S. and Vedant Gupta, both 3rd year B.A., LL.B students at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore.