Parliament passed Transgender rights amendment Bill amid Opposition protest

Parliament passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod on Wednesday after a discussion in which the Opposition pressed for sending it to a Select Committee of the House on the grounds that it is not sensitive enough to the cause of the community, a claim the government refuted. Lok Sabha had cleared it on Tuesday.

In his reply to the debate, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar emphasized in the Rajya Sabha that this Bill is not a mere amendment to the existing law but one aimed at ensuring social reform for those who have faced discrimination due to their identity and social boycott. He said the Bill will help the transgender community live with dignity.

Kumar underlined that the Narendra Modi dispensation is working for equal rights of all under its motto of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”. This has become a national pledge now. “This law is for those who face grave social discrimination for no fault of theirs. When a child is in his mother’s womb he does not know in what form he will be born,” he said.


On the issue of how to identify transgenders, a matter over which the Opposition and sections of the society have maintained the Bill does not do justice, the minister insisted that the purpose is to identify those who are discriminated against as transgenders in society.

“This Bill strengthens and reforms the law that was passed around seven years back (in 2019) for those who were boycotted due to their genetic issues. It is an assurance that their dignity and rights will be protected. I wish to fully assure the House on this,” he said, adding that the government wishes transgenders get the same rights bestowed on other citizens.

Kumar clarified that the amendments have been made keeping the experiences in implementation of the 2019 legislation to make the law more robust.

The Opposition had issues with the Bill and insisted that the government either withdraw it or send it to a Select Committee of the Upper House. Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury, who initiated the debate, questioned how a medical board could determine who is a transgender and maintained that it is not just a physical issue but also one of a person’s mental make-up. She accused the government of being arrogant and insensitive to the cause of transgenders.

Chowdhury underlined that there are an estimated five lakh transgenders in India and alleged that the government does not understand the ways in which they are discriminated against or identified. These include same sex marriage, binary divisions, and the cultural aspects associated with transgenders. She demanded that there should be 15 deletions in the Bill in its present form.

Tiruchi Siva (DMK), who has been in the forefront on the rights of transgenders, charged that injustice is being done to them in this Bill. Article 14, 15 and 19 of the Constitution are being violated and the law will be struck down by the Supreme Court. “You are putting transgenders behind bars by criminalizing them,” he said.

Siva maintained that social justice falls under the Concurrent List and the states should have been consulted. He further questioned the criteria under which transgenders are to be identified and pressed for dignity and equality to the community.

Jaya Bachchan (SP), Priyanka Chaturvedi (SS-UBT) and Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) were among the Opposition members who spoke on the Bill.