The government on Friday introduced a Bill seeking to provide a precise definition of the term ‘transgender’, and introduce graded punishments reflecting the gravity of harm inflicted on transgender persons in the Lok Sabha.The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar.The Union Cabinet had cleared the Bill on March 11. It states that a transgender person “shall not include, nor shall ever have been so included, persons with different sexual orientations and self-perceived sexual identities”.The proposed legislation emphasises the need for a clear definition to ensure proper identification and protection of transgender persons, so that they can fully access the benefits provided under existing laws.“The protection and benefits under the present 2019 law are extensive, and care must be taken that such identification cannot be extended based on acquirable characteristics, personal choice, or self-perceived identity,” the Bill states.Additionally, the amendment includes provisions for the “designation of an authority”, which will have the option to seek expert advice if necessary.The Bill proposes the creation of specific offences with graded punishments that take into account the severity of the harm, the irreversibility of the injury, and the particular vulnerability of child victims.It also seeks to empower transgender persons to make consequential changes to their official documents.Individuals issued a certificate of identity and formally recognised as transgender will be entitled to change their first name on their birth certificates, as well as on all other official documents related to their identity.