The Central Government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the protection of rights, welfare and social inclusion of the LGBTQAI+ community, including intersex persons, through a range of legal, administrative and welfare measures across different social spheres.

In a written reply to Smt Rajathi in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri B.L. Verma, outlined measures being undertaken by various Ministries and Departments to improve participation of the LGBTQAI+ community in areas including education, employment, identity documentation and other entitlements.

The Government's response highlighted a multi-Ministry approach towards strengthening protection, access to services and social inclusion of the LGBTQAI+ community, covering food security, financial services, healthcare, protection from discrimination, and safety and dignity.

The Ministry stated that the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, as amended in 2026, provides a comprehensive legal framework for the protection and welfare of transgender persons. The Act includes intersex persons born with congenital variations within the definition of transgender person. The Act and the Rules framed thereunder provide protection against discrimination and facilitate access to welfare measures and other entitlements.

The Department of Food and Public Distribution has issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories clarifying that, under existing provisions, partners in a queer relationship are to be treated as part of the same household for the purposes of ration cards. States and UTs have also been advised to take necessary measures to ensure that such partners do not face discrimination in the issuance of ration cards.

The Department of Financial Services has issued an advisory clarifying that there are no restrictions on persons of the queer community opening a joint bank account. The advisory also permits a person in a queer relationship to be nominated to receive the balance in the account in the event of the death of the account holder.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued communications to stakeholders, including States and UTs, for ensuring the rights of the LGBTQAI+ community in relation to healthcare. The measures include awareness activities, prohibition of conversion therapy, availability of sex reassignment surgery, changes in curricula, tele-consultation facilities, sensitisation and training of staff at various levels, and provisions relating to claiming the body where no near relative, next of kin or family member is available.

The Directorate General of Health Services has also issued a communication to State Health Departments and other stakeholders regarding ensuring healthcare access and reducing discrimination towards the LGBTQAI+ community.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has framed guidelines concerning medical intervention required for infants and children with disorders of sexual differentiation (intersex), with the objective of enabling them to lead a medically normal life without complications. The Ministry is also working on guidelines addressing issues relating to the mental health and well-being of the queer community.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an advisory to all States and UTs concerning prison visitation rights of the queer community. Another advisory has been issued regarding law-and-order measures to ensure that members of the queer community do not face threats of violence, harassment or coercion.

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PR- 72/TAR/KV/GA/RK

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