-Press release by All India Transgender and Intersex Collective The Constitution of India, framed under the guidance of Dr. BR Ambedkar, was built on the framework of equality, justice, liberty and secularism. It is only due to these ideals that communities of people forced into society's margins have won some legal rights and also gathered the courage to fight against social injustice. The fight still continues, especially because transgender persons, dalits,...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: Hundreds of transgender people gathered here on Sunday to criticise the NDA government's proposed definition of their gender as too similar to the Hindu concept of Ardhanarishwara in its over-reliance on physical attributes. They demanded that self-declaration and not medical screening be the accepted mode of gender identification. The transgender community sees itself as people whose gender identity (self-identification as man or woman or neither or both) runs counter...

-The Indian Express The report recommended specific provisions in the ministry’s version of the transgender Bill, to safeguard their rights, protect them against discrimination, and provide quotas in government colleges and jobs. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has decided to junk the recommendations of a parliamentary committee report which was the first ever government document to recognise the rights of transgender persons to partnerships and marriage, so that they...

-The Times of India New Delhi: Transgenders will soon be categorised as "third gender" and be eligible for welfare benefits including reservations in jobs and education. They would also be able to choose their gender after undergoing sex-change surgery. The transgender persons (Protection of Rights) Bill puts the "third gender" at par with weaker communities like SC/STs and OBCs to end discrimination against them. The Union cabinet approved the legislation piloted by social...

Although the focus of erstwhile UPA and the present NDA government has been to achieve higher economic growth by reaping the 'demographic dividend', a recent report from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) informs us that a substantial chunk of the population underwent ageing during the last 60 years. The report entitled Elderly in India: Profile and Programmes 2016 from CSO (that comes under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation) shows...