In 2018, we filed a Public Interest Litigation before the High Court of Telangana on behalf of transgender rights activists seeking implementation of the Supreme Court’s directions in NALSA v. Union of India.
Since the decision in NALSA v. Union of India, no concrete steps have been taken in the State of Telangana to implement the nine directions of the Supreme Court. The Petition relies on decisions of various High Courts in India on transgender rights and the steps taken by other State Governments to implement NALSA. It seeks the following, among other, reliefs from the Hon’ble Court:
- Frame a comprehensive policy to secure the rights of transgender persons and lay down guidelines for self-identification
- Constitute a Transgender Welfare Board with at least 50% representation from the transgender community
- Provide scholarships at all levels of education for transgender persons
- Frame social welfare schemes / programmes with respect to housing, financial assistance, skill development, and providing ration cards for transgender persons
- Provide access to free medical care including operation of HIV centres, free sex re-assignment surgery in public hospitals
- Provide separate toilets for transgender persons in educational institutions and all public utility buildings such as hospitals, bus and railway stations, public toilets etc.
- Implement a pension scheme
- Implement awareness and sensitisation workshops for the general public and include gender sensitisation as part of the curriculum in schools and colleges.
The Petition is currently pending before a Division Bench of the High Court of Telangana and notice has been issued to the Respondents.
– This post was authored by Deekshitha Ganesan, Research Associate