Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to amend the Protection and Rights of Transgender Persons Act that proposes to exclude social orientations from the purview of the law, with Rajya Sabha approval, even as opposition members pressed for it to be sent to a select committee.
The bill, which seeks to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2019, provides for tiered penalties based on the seriousness of harm caused to such persons. The bill was approved in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Responding to the debate on the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Senate, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said the proposed legislation is an attempt to bring all sections of society together.
He said the bill aims to provide protection only to those who face discrimination due to biological issues. The minister stressed that the amendment will ensure that transgender people continue to receive legal recognition and protection.
The Modi government is committed to protecting all people suffering due to biological causes, he said, adding that their rights will be protected.
The minister felt that these people should be integrated into the mainstream so that they do not live in a state of depression.
Highlighting the steps taken by the government for the welfare of the community, the minister said that transgender welfare boards have been established in more than 30 states. This bill will bring administrative clarity and protect the rights of transgender people.
The minister said the legislation will help end discrimination against transgender people, saying the bill represents a clear resolve of the Modi government that believes in sabka saath sabka vikas.
He stated that the government is working to liberate and empower every person, and the proposed legislation is an attempt to bring all segments of society together.
The Modi government is committed to protecting all people suffering from biological causes.
The bill was approved by voice vote in Rajya Sabha after amendments moved by the Opposition were rejected. The House of Representatives did not agree to the opposition’s demands to send the draft law to the selection 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 just a legal reform but a path to justice for those who have long faced social exclusion and discrimination because of their identity,” he said.
“Sabka Saat, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas is not just a slogan, but a strong resolve of our government, which is working under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build an India where every citizen can move forward with dignity and hope,” he said.
He assured the House that this step is not just a legal exercise but a national commitment to build a strong, self-reliant and inclusive India.
The draft law seeks to provide a precise definition of the term “transgender” and exclude “various sexual orientations and self-perceived gender identities” from the scope of the proposed law. It was introduced in the Lok Sabha earlier this month.
The minister said efforts were being made to identify the specific needs of transgender people facing serious social challenges and to help create a framework to protect them.
Several members participated in the discussion including Amar Pal Maurya (BJP), Renuka Chaudhary (Congress), Fauzia Khan (NCP-SP), Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD), Saket Gokhale (TMC) and Tiruchi Siva (DMK).
Some members demanded that the draft law be sent to the selection committee.
AAP MP Swati Maliwal said that gender inequality for transgender people must be urgently rectified.
She pointed out that the text in the draft law, which criminalizes the temptation of someone to present themselves as transgender, is ambiguous and risky.
It is risky because it may target families, doctors and the support system of the transgender community.
“Instead of protection, we may be creating outright fear,” she said. “Today we must stand with those who have been marginalized for centuries. We must send this bill to a select committee and conduct greater consultation because to delay dignity is to deny dignity.”
CPI(M) MP John Brittas also asked the government to send this bill to a select or standing committee.
“My request is to withdraw the bill and return it after considering it in the monsoon session and let us (then) discuss it,” SP MP Jaya Bachchan said.
Opposing the bill, Abdul Wahab of IUML asked the government to send this bill for discussion to a select committee.
NCP-SCP leader Fauzia Khan and 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 with stakeholders, legal experts, civil society and the 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 criterion in the existing law as it would increase the burden on the already overburdened bureaucracy besides posing other challenges.
YSR Congress Party’s Jula Babu Rao and BJD’s Subhashish Khuntia along with other opposition members seconded and demanded that the bill be sent to a parliamentary committee for consultation with stakeholders.
