In what can be called a latest development in the field of transgender persons rights, the Central government has decided to make a council that will ensure that people from this community have full access to quality in all walks of life and are protected whenever these rights are being snatched away from them. It is in this context that the Centre has constituted the National Council for Transgender Persons which will function as a body which will henceforth be responsible for formulating programs, policies, legislations and projects in the context of transgender persons and will oversee that members of this community have full access to such opportunities and don’t have to face any discrimination in the process.
This council has been established by the Centre in its exercise of the powers conferred by the Transgender Persons(Protection of Rights) Act,2019. The Council is going to function as a body which will be advising the government on formulation of policies, programs and projects for the welfare of the transgender community and it will also evaluate the positive impact of such schemes on the transgender community.
Among the many other functions of the council will be to review and coordinate all the activities of the department related to the transgender community and address their grievances. It is also required that the council has members from the transgender community and the five states and 10 central departments.
It has been decided that the chairperson will be a Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment while the vice-chairperson will be a junior minister from the minister. The council will also have the membership of ministers from different ministries such as the health ministry, family welfare ministry, ministry of home affairs etc. The council will make sure that it has members from different regions of the country along with five members of the transgender community. It is hoped that such a committee will prove beneficial in bringing the needs and demands of the transgender community to the forefront and address their grievances in a better manner so that the community is better represented in our society and can make the most of available opportunities for better growth and betterment.
