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New Delhi: Parliament on Wednesday, March 25, passed a Bill to amend a law on protection and rights of transgender persons that proposes excluding social orientations from the ambit of the statute, with Rajya Sabha giving its nod, even as Opposition members pressed for sending it to a select committee.

The Bill, which seeks to amend Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act 2019, also provides for graded punishment based on the gravity of harm inflicted on such people. The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, March 24.

Replying to the debate on the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Upper House, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said the proposed legislation is an effort to take along all segments of society together.

He said that the Bill aims to provide protection to only those who face discrimination due to biological issues. The minister asserted that the amendment will ensure that transgender persons continue to get legal recognition and protection.

The Modi government is committed to protecting all those people who are suffering due to biological reasons, he said, adding that their rights will be protected.

The minister opined that such persons should be brought into the mainstream so that they do not live in dejection.

‘Will bring administrative clarity, protect rights’

Highlighting the steps taken by the government for the welfare of the community, the minister said that transgender welfare boards have been set up in over 30 states. This bill will bring administrative clarity and protect the rights of transgender persons.

Virendra Kumar said that the legislation will help end discrimination against transgender persons, saying the Bill is a clear resolve of the Modi government, which believes in “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas.”

“The government is working towards emancipation and empowerment of every person and the proposed legislation is an effort to take all segments of society together,” he stated.

The Modi government is committed to protecting all those people who are suffering due to biological reasons.

The Bill was passed by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha after rejecting amendments moved by the Opposition. The House did not approve the demands by the Opposition for sending the Bill to a select committee.

“The Bill reflects our nation’s commitment to ensuring that every citizen enjoys equal rights and lives with dignity and respect. This Bill is not merely a legal reform but a pathway to justice for those who have long faced social exclusion and discrimination due to their identity,” Virendra Kumar said.

“Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas is not just a slogan, but a firm resolve of our government, which under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working toward building an India where every citizen can move forward with dignity and hope,” he said.

A national commitment: Union Minister

He assured the House that this step is not merely a legal exercise but a national commitment to build a strong, self-reliant and inclusive India.

The Bill seeks to give a precise definition of the term “transgender” and exclude “different sexual orientations and self-perceived sexual identities” from the proposed law’s ambit. It was introduced in the Lok Sabha earlier this month.

The minister said that efforts have been made to recognise the specific needs of transgender persons who face serious social challenges and to help create a framework for their protection.

Several members participated in the debate, including Amar Pal Maurya (Bharatiya Janata Party), Renuka Chowdhury (Congress), Fauziya Khan (Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar), Manoj Kumar Jha (Rashtriya Janata Dal), Saket Gokhale (Trinamool Congress) and Tiruchi Siva (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam).

Opposition demands Bill be sent to select committee

Some members pressed for sending the bill to the select committee.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal stated that gender inequality for transgender persons must be urgently corrected.

She noted that the provision in the Bill criminalising, alluring someone to present as transgender, is vague and risky. It is risky because it may target families, doctors and the support system of the transgender community.

“Instead of protection, we may create outright fear. Today, we must stand up with those pushed to the margins for centuries. We must send this Bill to the select committee and hold larger consultations because dignity delayed is dignity denied,” she said.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas also asked the government to send this Bill to a select or a standing committee.

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Jaya Bachchan said, “My request is to withdraw the bill and bring it back after consideration in the Monsoon session and let’s (then) discuss it.”

Opposing the bill, Indian Union Muslim League’s (IUML) Abdul Wahab asked the government to send this Bill for deliberation to a select committee.

NCP-SP’s leader Fauzia Khan and Shiv Sena- Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’s (SS-UBT) Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi also asked the government to send the Bill to a select committee.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva demanded consultation from stakeholders, legal experts, civil society, transgender community as well as a review by the select committee.

RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha urged the government not to amend the self-identification norm in the existing law, as it will further burden the already overburdened bureaucracy, besides posing other challenges.

Golla Babu Rao from the YSR Congress Party and Subhasish Khuntia from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) seconded with the other Opposition members and demanded that the Bill be sent to a parliamentary committee for stakeholders’ consultation.