New Delhi, April 5 The amended transgender law has raised concerns about "constant surveillance" among community members, with many worried that they could be repeatedly subjected to scrutiny, harassment, and even forced to prove their gender identity.
For many transgender individuals, activists say, the anxiety extends beyond appearing before a medical board for certification. They fear that with self-identification now abolished under the amended law, they could be forced to repeatedly "prove" their gender identity to the police, employers, hospitals, and other authorities.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, was passed by Parliament on March 25 and received President Droupadi Murmu's assent on March 30.
Ritu, a non-binary transfeminine person, said the law could subject transgender people to scrutiny and harassment at every stage of their lives. "Not just the medical panel, but also the way it criminalizes trans people – they could be harassed or stripped by the police," she said.
"Anyone can challenge your identity at work, in a hospital, or elsewhere. This is not a one-time process; it is constant surveillance that the community has faced for centuries," she told
