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The transgender community is considered to be amongst the most marginalized communities in India. The main reason for their marginalization is the fact that they are neither male nor female, the two mainstream genders in the society. As a result, they have faced several problems like social exclusion, discrimination, lack of educational facilities, poverty, unemployment, lack of healthcare and medical facilities, etc. The transgender persons have been a part and parcel of the Indian society from the era of Ramayan and Mahabharat. The LGBTQ group is referred to as the “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community” which includes those with gender dysphoria and different sexual orientations. In India, the total population of transgender persons is about 5 lakhs. Until recently, most of them were either constrained to beg on the streets or earning their living by singing and dancing at weddings. However, in the twenty first century, the Government of India has introduced several welfare policies and schemes for the transgender persons, which is actually a big step forward. These include census documentation, issuing of Aadhaar Cards and Passports, along with measures for social, economic and political transformation. Many legal and constitutional safeguards, as well as institutional mechanisms have also been provided in order to prevent the marginalization and violation of human rights of the transgender community. The Indian Judiciary has also passed several judgments to protect the rights and dignity of the transgender people. The latest attempt by the Parliament of India in this direction is “The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019.”




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