President Droupadi Murmu Approves Trans Bill 2026 Amid Protests. All We Know

India’s new Transgender Amendment Act 2026 ends self-identification rights, triggering protests.

The Transgender (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill 2026 has officially received the President’s approval. This means that it is now a law. This comes amid widespread protests across the community, with legal experts also criticising the bill. The new changes to the act essentially wipe out the right to self-identification, granting that the “certificate” of being transgender could only be issued by a District Magistrate after being advised by a team of medical experts set up for this purpose. Read on for more details.

President Passes New Trans Bill 2026 Even As Legal Experts Asked Her To Reconsider, Considering Large-Scale Implications

On March 30, 2026, a gazette confirmed that President Droupadi Murmu had given her assent to the new amendments to the Transgender Bill. This comes as a shock to the community, which will no longer be allowed to self-determine gender.

A Supreme Court-appointed panel previously opposed it. Led by former Delhi High Court Justice Asha Menon, the committee asked for the Bill to be withdrawn. Additionally, a group of 140 lawyers and feminists had written to the President expressing their reservations about the Bill, especially the “constitutional violations” in its framing. Consisting of the All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) and the National Alliance for Justice, Accountability, and Rights (NAJAR), this letter requested that the Bill not be passed.

Nonetheless, the President has signed off on the Bill, which means it is now an Act, i.e., a law that can be enacted. The Opposition had firmly called out the two major changes in 2026. First, it suggests that no individual could self-identify as a transgender person, whether or not they had had gender-affirming treatment or surgeries done. Second, that a committee and District Magistrate would be gathered to examine said person before giving a certificate that allows them reservation and protection as defined by the law.

Also Read: Explained: Why Are Queer Folk (And Allies) So Against The Transgender Rights Amendment Bill 2026?

Other changes within the Amendment include punishment for those who force someone to identify as trans (not clearly defined). Rajya Sabha MPs Jaya Bachchan and Renuka Chowdhury were vocal in calling out the Bill, which passed in the Rajya Sabha by an ‘Ayes’ vote.

Also Read: Women MPs Jaya Bachchan, Renuka Chowdhury Slam Transgender Bill 2026 In Rajya Sabha

First Published: March 31, 2026 1:41 PM