Trans Bill and Amended Act 2026
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 13, 2026, by the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. Protests have erupted across India due to concerns from trans and ally communities over the erosion of rights.
The Bill narrows the definition of “transgender person” to socio-cultural identities (kinner, hijra, jogta, aravani)), intersex variations, eunuchs, and those forced into transgender identity via mutilation or procedures. It explicitly excludes self-perceived identities, trans men and trans women without surgery, and people who are genderqueer, who were included in the Trans Act (2019). See here for details of the Act, Rules, as well as Bills introduced post-NALSA.
Identity certificates now require District Magistrate approval based on a medical board’s recommendation, led by a Chief Medical Officer. Gender change mandates a revised certificate with medical institution reporting, and new graded penalties include life imprisonment for forced identity via kidnapping or grievous hurt.
Criticisms of the Bill centre on the following reasons:
(i) It removes self-identification rights from the 2019 Act and ignores Supreme Court’s 2014 NALSA judgment,
(ii) It mandates medical scrutiny that invades privacy and bodily autonomy.
(iii) It erases trans men and genderqueer people from protections, as well as those who do not wish to or are unable to undergo medical transition procedures.
(iv) It risks criminalizing community support by the traditional (guru-chela) systems, by community-based organizations and even, potentially, healthcare providers assisting trans persons.
Since March 13, 2026, community members, lawyers, healthcare providers and other allies have been discussing the Bill and formulating position statements and critiques. Some of the resources generated so far, and coverage in mainstream and queer media, are listed below:
The Bill is here. Gazette notification on 30 March following President’s assent is here.
See below for Sections on
I. Discussions in Parliament
II. Public Statements by Organisations
III. Statements from Political Organisations and Politicians
IV. Analyses of the Bill
V. Media Coverage (daughter page)
VI. List of Public Events (daughter page)
VII. Petitions filed in High Courts and Supreme Court (daughter page)
TIMELINE
30 March 2026: President of India assents to the Bill, appears in the Gazette
30 March 2026: Rajasthan High Court critizises the Bill
26 March 2026: Advisor on the Core Group on LGBTQI+ issues at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Harish Iyer, resigns in protest
25 March 2026: Kalki Subramaniam & Rituparna Neog resign from National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP)
25 March 2026: Rajya Sabha passes the Bill after discussions
24 March 2026: Lok Sabha passes the Bill after discussions
24 March 2026: Supreme Court-appointed Advisory Committee on Transgender Rights asks Minister to withdraw Bill
12 March 2026: Government tables the Bill
10 March 2026: Cabinet passes the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026.
I. DISCUSSIONS IN PARLIAMENT
RAJYA SABHA PROCEEDINGS, 25 MARCH
Summary of arguments by MPs in Rajya Sabha, 25 March (by Hyderabad Against Trans Erasure & Picnic)
- Renuka Chowdhury, INC, Telangana (Oppose)
- Tiruchi Siva, DMK, Tamil Nadu (Oppose)
- Medha Vishram Kulkarni, BJP, Maharashtra (Support)
- Saket Gokhale, AITC, West Bengal (Oppose)
- Sanjay Singh, AAP, NCT Delhi (Oppose)
- Golla Baburao, YSRCP, Andhra Pradesh (Oppose)
- Subhasish Khuntia, BJD, Odisha (Oppose)
- Prof. Manoj Jha, RJD, Bihar (Oppose)
- M. Thambidurai, AIADMK, Tamil Nadu (Support)
- Ravi Chandra Vaddiraju, BRS, Telangana (Oppose)
- Dr. John Brittas, CPI(M), Kerala (Oppose)
- Jaya Amitabh Bachchan, SP, Uttar Pradesh (Oppose)
- Abdul Wahab, IUML, Kerala (Oppose)
- Bhim Singh, BJP, Bihar (Support)
- Sandeep Kumar Pathak, AAP, Punjab (Oppose)
- Sulata Deo, BJD, Odisha (Oppose)
- Dr. Fauzia Khan, NCP-SCP, Maharashtra (Oppose)
- Parmar Jashvantsinh Salamsinh, BJP, Gujarat (Support)
- Priyanka Chaturvedi, SS-UBT, Maharashtra (Oppose)
- Subhash Barala, BJP, Haryana (Support)
- Swati Maliwal, AAP, NCT Delhi (Oppose)
- Amal Pal Maurya, BJP, Uttar Pradesh (Support)
- Mahua Maji, JMM, Jharkhand (Oppose)
- Minister Virendra Kumar’s reply
- Voting and passing of the bill in Rajya Sabha
LOK SABHA PROCEEDINGS, 24 MARCH
Summary of arguments by MPs in Lok Sabha, 24 March (by Hyderabad Against Trans Erasure & Picnic)
Sansad TV YouTube Videos
- Minister Virendra Kumar moves The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026
- S. Jothimani, INC, Karur, Tamil Nadu (Oppose)
- Anand Bhadauria, SP, Dahurahra Uttar Pradesh (Oppose)
- Dr. T. Sumathy (Thamizachi Thangapandian), DMK, Chennai South, Tamil Nadu (Oppose)
- June Maliah, AITC, Medinipur, West Bengal (Oppose)
- Dr Byreddy Shabari, TDP, Nandyal, AP (Support)
- Supriya Sule, NCP (SP), Baramati, Maharashtra (Oppose)
- Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Balasore, Odisha (Support)
- Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Shiv Sena (UBT), Mumbai South, Maharastra (Oppose)
- Dr. Alok Kumar Suman, JDU, Gopalganj, Bihar (Support)
- Naresh Ganpat Mhaske, Shiv Sena, Thane, Maharashtra (Support)
- Adv. Gowaal Kagada Padavi, INC, Nandurbar, Maharashtra (Oppose)
- Abhay Kumar Sinha, RJD, Aurangabad, Bihar (Oppose)
- Shyamkumar Daulat Barve, INC, Ramtek, Maharashtra (Oppose)
- Balwant Baswant Wankhade, INC, Amaravati, Maharashtra (Oppose)
- Km. Sudha R., INC, Mayiladuthurai, TN (Oppose)
- Minister Virendra Kumar’s Reply
- Voting & Passing
Website to help you send an email to your MP (by Queers Against The Trans Bill ‘26 Collective)
II. PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY ORGANISATIONS
Letters to the President of India
Tamilnadu LGBTIQ Movement (PDF)
Sweekar – The Rainbow Parents (PDF)
Association for Transgender Health in India (ATHI) (PDF)
All-India Feminist Alliance – National Alliance for Justice, Accountability & Rights (ALIFA-NAJAR) (PDF)
Trans and Queer Organizations, Collectives, Committees, Activists, Transgender Welfare Boards and Parent Groups
Trans-Intersex Self-Respect Coalition (Public Statement)
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA Asia)
State Transgender Welfare Board, Government of Assam (Public Statement)
Joint Statement by Members of the Tamil Nadu State Transgender Welfare Board (in English)
Joint Statement by Members of the Tamil Nadu State Transgender Welfare Board (in Tamil)
NCTP: Urgent Recommendations for Amendment in the proposed Bill to Minister, Social Justice & Empowerment
Summary of the meeting between NCTP members and Govt of India in New Delhi on 22 March here, here, here
Resignation Letter by Kalki Subramaniam, Member, Southern Region, NCTP (in Tamil)
Resignation Letter by Rituparna Neog, Member, North East Region, NCTP
Mumbai Queer Pride (Press Statement)
Coalition for Sex Workers’, Sexual and Gender Minorities’ Rights (CSGMR) (Public statement)
Intersex Advocacy Consortium (Public statement, Instagram)
An open appeal from parents of LGBTQIA+ to the Minister (Sweekar)
The Trans Bill Protest Committee Tamilnadu (Public Statement in Tamil and English)
Transmen Collective (Public statement, Instagram)
Trans Rights Now Collective (Public statement, Instagram)
South Asian Trans Muslim Rights Forum (Public statement, Instagram)
Good As You Bangalore (Public statement, Instagram)
Hridayam (Public statement, Instagram)
Dalit Bahujan Adivasi Trans Queer Panthers National Network (Public statement, Instagram)
Letter from Justice Asha Menon (Retd), Chairperson, Trans Advisory Committee (Supreme Court) to Minister Virendra Kumar
Statement of condemnation of the bill by Law School Queer Alliance (Public statement by 40+ student groups from law schools)
Naz Foundation (India) Trust (Public statement, Instagram)
Letter from Kalki Subramaniam to the Minister
Collective Statement on Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill 2026 (Community statement)
Queer Hindu Alliance Statement (Public statement, Instagram)
Unsoundcollective (Public statement, Instagram)
Periferry (Public statement, Instagram)
Samyuktha Samara Samithi Keralam (Public statement in Malayalam and English with signatories)
Health Care Organizations and Professional Medical Associations
A Mental Health and Rights-Based Perspective on the Proposed Bill (Mariwala Health Initiative)
Association for Transgender Health in India (ATHI) (Public statement)
Clinical Psychology Society of India (CPSI)
Collective Statement by Healthcare Professionals on the Bill (Public Statement, updated with signatures)
GlobalHealth – a pan-Indian coalition working on maternal health, reproductive health, and safe abortion
Institute for Health Equity, Advocacy, and Research (Public statement, Instagram)
Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (Public statement)
Medico Friends Circle (Public Statement) (Link)
Mental Health Professionals Condemn the Bill (Public statement, updated version)
Transgender/Queer Persons with Disabilities (Public statement with link to Bangla version)
Women in Global Health (WGH) India (Public Statement)
Other Ally Organizations and Collectives (Feminist, Human Rights, Media, Scientists, Artists)
All India Democratic Womens’ Association (AIDWA) (Public statement)
All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA-NAJAR): Open Appeal to all MPs to Withdraw Bill
All India Lawyers’ Association for Justice (AILAJ) (Public statement)
AMAN Global Voices for Peace in the Home (Solidarity statement)
Ambedkar Students’ Association, University of Hyderabad (Public statement, Instagram)
Amnesty International (Article)
Artists and Cultural Workers Against the Transgender Bill (Public Statement)
Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) (Public Statement)
Filmmakers for Trans Dignity and Self-Identity (Public Statement)
Haiyya (Public statement, Instagram)
Hindus for Human Rights (Press Release)
Indian Association for Women’s Studies (Public statement)
Maharashtra Stree Mukti Parishad (Public statement, Instagram)
Mahila Sarvangeen Utkarsh Mandal (MASUM) (Public Statement)
Naveddu Nilladiddare, If We Do Not Rise, Karnataka (Public Statement)
People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) (Public statement)
Right to Food Campaign (Public Statement)
Samatva Foundation Letter to Dept of Social Justice, Pune
Savitribai Phule Village Library (Public statement, Instagram)
Seven Alliance (Public statement)
SFI University of Hyderabad (Public statement, Instagram)
Statement by organisations in biodiversity, conservation, ecology, environment and climate action (Public statement)
Students for Peoples’ Democracy (Public statement, Instagram)
Tamilnadu Progressive Writers’ Artists’ Association (Public statement)
The LaLiT Group (Public statement, Instagram)
The Network of Women in Media, India (Public Statement) (Webpage)
United Nations Human Rights Office (Tweet) (Imag
III. STATEMENTS FROM POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS & POLITICIANS
Video interview of Minister Virendra Kumar (Sansad TV) (In Hindi)
CPI Tamilnadu Committee (Public Statement) (In Tamil)
Letter from MP Karti Chidambaram to Minister Virendra Kumar
MK Stalin (DMK, CM Tamil Nadu) (Instagram)
Rahul Gandhi (INC, MP Lok Sabha & Leader of Opposition, LS)
Priyanka Gandhi (INC, MP Lok Sabha) (Instagram)
Shashi Tharoor (INC, MP Lok Sabha)
Renuka Chowdhury (INC, MP Rajya Sabha) (also see Instagram)
Adv Adoor Prakash (INC, MP Lok Sabha)
Karti P. Chidambaram (INC, MP Lok Sabha)
Mahua Moitra (TMC, MP Lok Sabha)
Derek O’Brien (TMC, MP Rajya Sabha)
Saket Gokhale (TMC, MP Rajya Sabha)
R. Bindu (Min for Higher Education & Social Justice, Kerala) (In Malayalam)
Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (Public Statement) (PDF)
NCP (SP) (Public Statement)
Aam Aadmi Party (Public Statement)
Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI(M) (Public statement) (PDF)
Communist Party of India (ML) Liberation (Public statement) (PDF)
Students Federation of India (SFI) Pune Committee (Public Statement, in Marathi)
Student’s Federation of India (Public statement)
All India Congress Committee Professionals’ Congress (Public statement)
Transgender persons bill ‘draconian’, expect no better from government: Derek O’Brien
IV. ANALYSES OF THE BILL
Trans Act 2026 Dangerously Departs from Evidence-Based, Community Centred Policymaking in India Nivarana
Submissions by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy to Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
“This Trans Bill Could Erase Identities”: Dr Aqsa Shaikh Explains | Faye D’Souza
Table Explaining the Bill in reference to the Act, and associated concerns (Community generated)
The Wire Gender is Not Between the Legs, It’s in the Heart and Mind Aqsa Shaikh with Karan Thapar
News Laundry BJP’s war on self-identification: Why does misogyny still get free pass? Rumi Harish and Arvind Narrain
Analysis of the Bill: Key Changes And Legal Implications (Saket Saurav, Law Street Journal)
Do not dilute rights of Transgender Persons (Prof. Faizan Mustafa) (YouTube)
From Rights to Regulation: The Quiet Militarisation of Gender Identity (Ditilekha Sharma, Raiot)
The Problem Issues with the Trans Rights Amendment Bill 2026 – A note! (by Aditya Bondyopadhyay)
Not Just Trans People, the 2026 Bill Expands State Control Over Everyone Mihir Rajamani (The Quint)
Genuinely Oppressed Transgender Persons in India, the Transgender Persons Amendment Bill 2026, and the Hijra community (by Aruvi)
Objections over the proposed bill (Analysis by Adv. Katyayani Vishnupriya)
A pamphlet, in Marathi (sourced from community)
A summary of the bill, in Telugu (sourced from community)
V. MEDIA COVERAGE
Link to separate page: https://orinam.net/resources-for/law-and-enforcement/trans-bill-2026/media-coverage-of-trans-bill-2026/
VI. LIST OF PUBLIC EVENTS
Link to separate page https://orinam.net/resources-for/law-and-enforcement/trans-bill-2026/public-events-against-trans-bill-2026/