Are transgender persons recognized as equal citizens in Indian democracy?

By Harasankar Adhikari

The transgender community in India includes diverse groups such as Hijras, eunuchs, Kothis, Aravanis, Jogappas, and Shiv-Shaktis. In West Bengal, Hijras form a prominent sub-group. Ancient Hindu texts, including Vedic and Puranic literature, acknowledge a "third gender" (tritiya prakriti), also termed napunsaka. Today, West Bengal’s Hijra population is estimated at over 50,000 (within India’s total transgender population of approximately five lakh, or 500,000). Many transgender individuals face exclusion from their natal families, leading them to form close-knit communities for survival and support. Despite enduring widespread social stigma, nearly 50% of transgender persons in India have attained at least a high school education.

After prolonged advocacy, the Indian judiciary formally recognized transgender individuals as a third gender, culminating in the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. Section 3 of the Act prohibits discrimination in education, employment, healthcare, and public/private services, aiming to integrate transgender communities into mainstream society. Central and state governments are mandated to facilitate rehabilitation through vocational training, self-employment initiatives, and welfare schemes.

Under the Act, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the National Portal for Transgender Persons and the SMILE initiative (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise). These programs offer transgender certification, skill development, healthcare access, shelter homes (Garima Greh), and other support services. Budget allocations rose from ₹72.91 crore in 2023-24 to ₹106.88 crore for 2025-26, reflecting increased financial commitment.

In West Bengal, the state Transgender Welfare Board was established per the 2019 Act. However, its impact remains negligible at the grassroots level. The Board’s official website (https://wcdsw.wb.gov.in/tpdb/) lacks updated information on activities or outcomes, raising concerns about fund utilization. Critics allege that efforts by the state government prioritize bureaucratic processes over meaningful action, with reports of corruption in resource distribution.

Despite legal protections, many transgender individuals in West Bengal rely on begging at transit hubs and markets, or engage in sex work, due to limited livelihood options. Their coercive tactics for alms, such as persistent demands, often frustrate commuters, perpetuating negative stereotypes. Section 18 of the 2019 Act prescribes penalties for discrimination, but enforcement is absent, rendering the law symbolic.

The community’s marginalization persists, with minimal improvement in socioeconomic conditions or social integration. Awareness campaigns to foster inclusivity remain inadequate. Political apathy exacerbates these challenges; as transgender persons lack a significant vote bank, their issues are sidelined. While voting rights exist, true citizenship entails dignity, equality, and opportunity—goals yet to be realized for India’s transgender population.

Comments

Plastic burning in homes threatens food, water and air across Global South: Study

By Jag Jivan In a groundbreaking study spanning 26 countries across the Global South , researchers have uncovered the widespread and concerning practice of households burning plastic waste as a fuel for cooking, heating, and other domestic needs. The research, published in Nature Communications , reveals that this hazardous method of managing both waste and energy poverty is driven by systemic failures in municipal services and the unaffordability of clean alternatives, posing severe risks to human health and the environment.

Economic superpower’s social failure? Inequality, malnutrition and crisis of India's democracy

By Vikas Meshram India may be celebrated as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, but a closer look at who benefits from that growth tells a starkly different story. The recently released World Inequality Report 2026 lays bare a country sharply divided by wealth, privilege and power. According to the report, nearly 65 percent of India’s total wealth is owned by the richest 10 percent of its population, while the bottom half of the country controls barely 6.4 percent. The top one percent—around 14 million people—holds more than 40 percent, the highest concentration since 1961. Meanwhile, the female labour force participation rate is a dismal 15.7 percent.

The greatest threat to our food system: The aggressive push for GM crops

By Bharat Dogra Thanks to the courageous resistance of several leading scientists who continue to speak the truth despite increasing pressures from the powerful GM crop and GM food lobby , the many-sided and in some contexts irreversible environmental and health impacts of GM foods and crops, as well as the highly disruptive effects of this technology on farmers, are widely known today.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

'Restructuring' Sahitya Akademi: Is the ‘Gujarat model’ reaching Delhi?

By Prakash N. Shah* A fortnight and a few days have slipped past that grim event. It was as if the wedding preparations were complete and the groom’s face was about to be unveiled behind the ceremonial tinsel. At 3 PM on December 18, a press conference was poised to announce the Sahitya Akademi Awards .

The war on junk food: Why India must adopt global warning labels

By Jag Jivan The global health landscape is witnessing a decisive shift toward aggressive regulation of the food industry, a movement highlighted by two significant policy developments shared by Dr. Arun Gupta of the Nutrition Advocacy for Public Interest (NAPi).

The illusion of nuclear abundance: Why NTPC’s expansion demands public scrutiny

By Shankar Sharma* The recent news that NTPC is scouting 30 potential sites across India for a massive nuclear power expansion should be a wake-up call for every citizen. While the state-owned utility frames this as a bold stride toward a 100,000 MW nuclear capacity by 2047, a cold look at India’s nuclear saga over the last few decades suggests this ambition may be more illusory than achievable. More importantly, it carries implications that could fundamentally alter the safety, environment, and economic health of our communities.

Epic war against caste system is constitutional responsibility of elected government

Edited by well-known Gujarat Dalit rights leader Martin Macwan, the book, “Bhed-Bharat: An Account of Injustice and Atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-18)” (available in English and Gujarati*) is a selection of news articles on Dalits and Adivasis (2014-2018) published by Dalit Shakti Prakashan, Ahmedabad. Preface to the book, in which Macwan seeks to answer key questions on why the book is needed today: *** The thought of compiling a book on atrocities on Dalits and thus present an overall Indian picture had occurred to me a long time ago. Absence of such a comprehensive picture is a major reason for a weak social and political consciousness among Dalits as well as non-Dalits. But gradually the idea took a different form. I found that lay readers don’t understand numbers and don’t like to read well-researched articles. The best way to reach out to them was storytelling. As I started writing in Gujarati and sharing the idea of the book with my friends, it occurred to me that while...

Search This Blog