Transgender board acting vice-chairperson resigns over new Bill

Patna: Acting vice-chairperson of the Bihar State Transgender Welfare Board, Rajan Singh, resigned following the parliamentary passage of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026.

The new legislation replaces the right to self-perceived gender identity with a mandatory medical certification process conducted by a govt-appointed board. It also narrows the legal definition of transgender people to focus on biological criteria and specific socio-cultural groups. Opponents of the bill claim these changes violate the 2014 NALSA judgment and undermine the privacy and dignity of transgender people.

The community in Bihar estimates that there are approximately 3,00,000 transgender people in the state, the majority of whom remain unregistered or unidentified. This legislative shift adds to the existing socio-economic challenges faced by the population. Singh said the lack of consultation with the transgender community on the bill led to his decision to step down.“Without consulting us or any state govt, the central govt brought this bill and passed it overnight.

This undermines the rights of the transgender community and future generations. Earlier, a transgender person had to submit an affidavit and an application before the district magistrate, who would issue a certificate recognising them as transgender,” Singh said. Under the new bill, a person will first have to appear before a medical board to be recognised.

The board, comprising male and female doctors, will examine the individual to determine their identity, after which the district magistrate will decide whether to issue the certificate.Singh added, “This is wrong, as no one has the right to violate a person’s integrity. It is a question of our fundamental rights. There are protests across the country on this issue, and we hope that since the bill has been passed in both houses, the President will send it back to the central govt for reconsideration.”Activists have also pointed out discrepancies in the penal provisions introduced by the new law. Priya Sinha, a transgender activist who has been working in Patna for nearly a decade, said the bill has been widely criticised for leaving the punishment for sexual abuse against transgender persons unchanged at a maximum of two years.“Instead of working for the development of this already backward community, who have been trying to fight decades of stigma and find a footing in society, instead of making a place for our community, society is regressing,” Sinha said.She added that the physical and administrative requirements for recognition create new barriers for members of the community. According to her, transgender persons by birth as well as those who identify themselves as a transman or a transwoman will face discrimination and difficulties equally.