Court orders reissue of academic certificates for Northeast's 1st transgender doctor

The Manipur High Court has directed the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur, Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur (COHSEM), Manipur University (MU) and the Manipur Medical Council to issue fresh educational certificates reflecting the new name and gender of Dr Beoncy Laishram, the first transgender doctor of Northeast India.

The order was passed by the single bench of Justice A Guneshor Sharma while hearing a petition filed by Dr Beoncy Laishram, whose birth name and gender were earlier recorded as “Boboi Laishram, male” in her educational records. After undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2019, the District Magistrate, Imphal West, issued her a transgender certificate and an identity card in the name of “Dr Beoncy Laishram” with gender “female”, in line with Sections 6 and 7 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. Her updated credentials have already been reflected in Aadhaar, PAN and Voter ID.

Despite this, BOSEM, COHSEM and MU declined to change her name and gender in educational certificates, citing absence of rules in their by-laws and arguing that such changes must begin from the matriculation stage. However, the High Court ruled that any educational institution or establishment is independently obligated under Sections 6, 7 and 10 of the Act to correct the records of a transgender person upon application, without waiting for initial institutions to do so.

The court rejected the objections raised by BOSEM, COHSEM and MU, clarifying that the Transgender Act, 2019 being a special law overrides general regulations and must be read into all existing laws, rules and regulations. Justice Sharma held that “any establishment”, as defined in Section 2(b) of the Act, is bound to update records in line with the new name and gender of a transgender person.

Accordingly, the High Court directed BOSEM, COHSEM, MU and the Manipur Medical Council to issue fresh certificates for Dr Beoncy Laishram within one month. Further, the Court instructed that Sections 6 and 7 of the Act shall be deemed incorporated into all existing laws, rules and bye-laws in Manipur until formal amendments are made.

The court has also ordered the Manipur Chief Secretary to issue directions to all establishments in the state to comply with this mandate.

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