Bill narrows 'transgender person' definition, excludes sexual orientation

This Bill amends the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 to narrow the definition of 'transgender person' to those with specific socio-cultural identities or intersex variations, and to introduce stricter penalties for offences such as forced identity assumption, mutilation, and exploitation.

The law affects transgender persons as defined by the new criteria (including those with intersex variations or specific socio-cultural identities like kinner, hijra, aravani, jogta, or eunuch), individuals compelled to assume a transgender identity against their will, medical institutions, District Magistrates, and the Central, State, and Union Territory Governments.

• Redefines 'transgender person' to include persons with specific socio-cultural identities, intersex variations, or those compelled to assume a transgender identity through force or mutilation, while explicitly excluding persons with different sexual orientations.
• Creates a new 'authority' defined as a medical board headed by a Chief Medical Officer or Deputy Chief Medical Officer appointed by the government.
• Requires the District Magistrate to examine recommendations from the medical authority before issuing a certificate of identity.
• Entitles persons issued a certificate of identity to change their first name in birth certificates and other official documents.
• Mandates that medical institutions furnish details to the District Magistrate and the authority for persons who have undergone gender change surgery.
• Changes the composition of the National Council to include representatives of State Governments and Union Territories not below the rank of Director, nominated by rotation from North, South, East, West, and North-East regions.
• Substitutes Section 18 with specific offences and graded penalties, including rigorous imprisonment for life and fines for kidnapping children and causing grievous hurt to compel a transgender identity, and imprisonment for 5-10 years for compelling adults to present as transgender for exploitation.

Written from the document by AI, and checked against it. The original below is authoritative.

The original document