Ministry has initiated 13 pilot shelter homes namely Garima Greh: Shelter Home for Transgender Persons and provided financial assistance to Community Based Organizations (CBOs) for setting up of these shelter homes.

However, one organization (Manipur state) had returned the funds sanctioned expressing inability in setting up Garima Greh due to Covid pandemic and other reasons.

These 12 pilot shelter homes are functional in 9 States i.e Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu & Odisha.

Ministry has launched a scheme “SMILE - Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” on 12.02.2022, under which, Garima Grehs will be set up @ at least one per State subject to eligibility criteria.

Ministry through the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) regularly organize awareness programmes for sensitizing Police functionaries, Prison functionaries, ICDS functionaries, Media Professionals including Medical professionals. One such programme was organized on 18.08.2021 for medical professionals wherein about 100 medical professionals were sensitized.

Ministry has also organized regional consultations with the support of NITI Aayog and UNDP with all the states/UTs on issues related to welfare of Transgender Persons and to sensitize local administration about 'The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, National Portal for Transgender Persons, including the SMILE Scheme.

One of the component of sub-scheme ‘Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’ of the SMILE scheme is Scholarships for Transgender Students under which financial assistance are provided to the Transgender students studying in IX and upto post graduation with the objective to enable them to complete their education, to reduce the incidence of drop-out and aid the transition from the elementary to the secondary stage.

The Ministry through the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) has also organized several webinar programmes for Educational Institutes to create awareness about the Transgender Persons . The details are attached as Annexure-1.

Annexure1

This information was given by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri A. Narayanswamy in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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MG/RNM/DP/RK