Nation Fails Its Promise: 11 States, UTs Yet to Form Transgender Welfare Boards, Activists Demand Urgent Action
Eleven states and UTs have yet to form Transgender Welfare Boards, five years after the law.
Even five years after the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act was passed, 11 states and union territories across India are yet to set up Transgender Welfare Boards, a key institution meant to safeguard the rights, dignity, and welfare of transgender individuals. The revelation has drawn strong criticism from activists, who view the delay as symptomatic of systemic neglect and slow administrative response in realizing inclusive governance.
According to data from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, only 25 states and UTs—including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, and West Bengal—have established Transgender Welfare Boards. These bodies are crucial for facilitating access to government welfare schemes and monitoring discrimination against the transgender community. Rule 10(1) of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020, makes it mandatory for every state and UT to constitute such boards, while Rule 11(5) requires the formation of Protection Cells to track and respond to crimes against transgender persons.
As per government data, India recorded 4,87,803 transgender persons in the 2011 Census, a number activists say grossly underrepresents the real population. So far, only 20 Transgender Protection Cells have been set up, along with 21 Garima Grehs (shelter homes) across 17 states. These shelters, built under the SMILE scheme, provide housing, food, healthcare, and vocational support to destitute transgender individuals. Three additional Garima Grehs have recently been approved, though many activists say this remains woefully insufficient given the country’s size and diversity.
Renowned transgender rights activist Kalki Subramaniam expressed deep frustration at the continuing delay. Speaking to ETV Bharat, she said the absence of Welfare Boards reflected how transgender lives are still seen as “secondary.” “Every day of delay is a day stolen from our dignity,” she remarked. She called for Welfare Boards with real powers—budgets, authority, and accountability—rather than nominal committees. She also urged expansion of Garima Grehs, demanding at least one in every district, preferably run by trans-led organizations.
Subramaniam, who also serves as a representative of the National Council for Transgender Persons, urged the government to act with urgency and to enforce Supreme Court directives with strict deadlines. “We are not asking for pity; we are demanding dignity. We are not asking for charity; we are demanding justice,” she said, emphasizing that welfare should translate into empowerment. Her message underscores the growing discontent within the transgender community, which continues to wait for institutions promised years ago but yet to materialize in large parts of the country.
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