In Focus by The Hindu Why was the National Transgender Council kept in the dark about the 2026 Amendment Bill?
Mar 20, 2026
Kalki Subramaniam, Southern Regional Representative of the National Council for Transgender Persons and transgender rights activist, reveals how the Council was bypassed in drafting the 2026 amendment. She flags removal of self-identification, mandatory medical tests, exclusion of trans men, and harsh sentencing disparities. Kalki outlines protests, planned letters to leaders, and her readiness to resign if the bill becomes law.
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Council Exists To Advise The Ministry
- The National Council for Trans Persons is designed as the community's direct advisory body to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- Kalki Subramaniam explains it has five regional representatives who feed grassroots needs and policy recommendations to the ministry.
Bill Reached Parliament Without Council Input
- The amendment bill reached Parliament without prior consultation with the council, effectively bypassing the community's official representatives.
- Kalki and other members say they learned about the bill only when the minister introduced it in Lok Sabha, calling the process silent and negligent.
Amendment Narrows Identity To Anatomy
- The amendment replaces the NALSA-era principle of self-identification with medical-based criteria tied to anatomy.
- Kalki warns this reduces identity to genitals and will make many long-open trans people invisible under law.