New Delhi, March 24 The Lok Sabha passed a bill on Tuesday to amend a law protecting and safeguarding the rights of transgender persons. The bill aims to exclude social orientations from the scope of the law and provides for graduated punishment based on the severity of harm inflicted on such individuals.
Responding to the debate on the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said the proposed legislation aims to provide protection only to those who face social boycott due to biological issues.
He asserted that the amendment will ensure that transgender persons continue to receive legal recognition and protection.
Kumar said while the 2019 law had a provision for a maximum of two years of imprisonment, the amendment bill provides for a maximum of 14 years in jail with a penalty.
Before the passage of the bill, the House also rejected amendments moved by opposition members by a voice vote.
While the government said the objective is to provide protection to such persons, the opposition slammed the proposed legislation for taking away the right to self-determination of identity, such as gay and lesbian individuals, and demanded that it be sent to a standing committee for proper consultations.
The bill seeks to provide a precise definition of the term "transgender" and exclude "different sexual orientations and self-perceived sexual identities" from the proposed law's scope. The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha earlier this month.