Supreme Court Issues Notice on Plea Challenging Transgender Definition

Supreme Court Issues Notice on Plea Challenging Transgender Definition

The Supreme Court has sought the Union government’s response to a petition challenging the constitutional validity of the proviso to Section 2(k) of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, which allegedly narrows the statutory definition of a “transgender person.” A Bench of the Court issued notice to the Centre after hearing the petition, which argues that the amended definition is discriminatory and violates the rights of transgender individuals. The petition has been filed by a group of transgender activists who claim that the new definition is too narrow and does not include all transgender individuals. The Supreme Court has given the Centre two weeks to respond to the petition.