Rights groups call for Telangana Assembly resolution against transgender law

By A Representative

On National Transgender Rights Day, April 15, over 200 activists across India have urged the Telangana Chief Minister to pass a State Assembly Resolution against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, citing its violation of constitutional rights and rollback of self-identification protections. The Act, which mandates medical certification for gender identity, is already facing multiple constitutional challenges in the Supreme Court and High Courts.

The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, received Presidential assent on March 31, 2026. It significantly alters the 2019 law by replacing the right to self-perceived gender identity—upheld in the landmark NALSA v. Union of India (2014) judgment—with a regime of medical certification and administrative verification. Critics argue this undermines the dignity and autonomy of transgender persons, contradicting Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21 of the Constitution. The law also introduces retrospective definitional changes, raising uncertainty over the validity of the 32,000 transgender certificates issued under the 2019 Act.

On 15 April 2026, coinciding with Ambedkar Jayanti and the anniversary of the NALSA judgment, activists submitted a detailed letter to the Telangana CM. They warned that the Amendment Act threatens to strip transgender persons of legal recognition, welfare entitlements, healthcare access, employment opportunities, and criminal law protections. The petition emphasized that Telangana, which has previously passed resolutions against central laws, must act to safeguard social justice and inclusive governance.

The signatories included prominent members of the Telangana Transgender Welfare Board (constituted in 2022), such as Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, Kiran Raj Gollapalli, Rachana Mudraboyina, Tashi Choedup, Laila Oruganti, Meera Sanghamitra, Mukunda Mala, Rapeti Jasmine, and Kiran Nayak B. They were joined by a broad coalition of feminist and queer activists, lawyers, academics, environmentalists, and farmers’ rights advocates, underscoring the wide civil society opposition.

The activists condemned the Union Government’s haste in passing the law within two weeks, ignoring opposition MPs, resignations from members of the National Council for Transgender Persons, and advice from the Supreme Court-appointed Advisory Committee in Jane Kaushik vs. Union of India. They urged Telangana to withhold operationalization of the Act, continue issuing IDs under the 2019 law, and expand welfare programs. Currently, in Telangana, 2,013 transgender ID cards have been issued, while 811 applications remain pending.

The petition also called for a comprehensive state-level Transgender Policy, building on processes initiated in 2025, and demanded continued health services, livelihood protections, and welfare schemes. The activists stressed that until the constitutional challenges are resolved by the Supreme Court and High Courts, the Amendment Act should not be implemented.

This coordinated appeal reflects a growing national movement against the 2026 Amendment, which many view as a regressive step undermining hard-won rights. The Telangana government’s response will be closely watched as a test of its commitment to social justice and federal autonomy.

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