Delhi HC seeks government reply on plea by transgenders

New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Wednesday sought the Centre and the AAP government’s stand on a PIL claiming that transgenders were facing atrocities, despite a Supreme Court direction four years ago to protect their rights.

A two-judge bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar issued notices to the AAP government, the Lieutenant governor’s office and the ministries of social justice and home affairs seeking their reply to the plea which alleged that transgenders had been denied basic right to education, employment opportunities and access to dignified life.

According to the petition by two students of Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, the apex court’s 2014 directions on transgender rights in the NALSA case had not yet been implemented four years down the line.

The petition, by Rashi Jain and Mihir Garg, contended that the apex court in its 2014 order had directed the authorities to treat transgenders as a third gender and to grant them legal recognition. Apart from that, the apex court had also directed that transgenders be treated as socially and educationally backward classes and all kinds of reservation be provided to them in admission in educational institutions and public appointments, the plea claimed.

The petition said the apex court had ordered separate public toilets, medical care and other facilities for transgenders.  The court listed the matter for next hearing on November 14.