Separate washrooms, medical boards at district level and loans at lower interest rates are some of the measures recommened by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to the Centre and state authorities in order to ensure the welfare of transgender persons.
The rights panel observed that one of the primary concerns faced by transgender persons is that despite legal advancements, they continue to "grapple with discrimination". The advisory has been prepared by it after wide discussions with various stakeholders and its Core Group members on LGBTI issues, the statement said.
NHRC's recommendations
The NHRC made 32 recommendations in its 'Advisory for Ensuring the Welfare of Transgender Persons' with regards to education, healthcare, employment, grievance redressal and promoting inclusivity.
The rights panel recommended that a "single trans child" of a deceased government employee or pensioner may be treated as an unmarried daughter for the family pension and other benefits, and transgender persons should be allowed to inherit ancestral agricultural land. Multi-purpose identity cards may be provided to them to help them access government schemes and other benefits.
The right panel has also recommended including 'Third Gender' as an identity category of the transgender community seeking jobs in various civil services and to enable them to apply and appear in entrance examinations.
Medical boards at the district level should be set up to assist transgender persons in consultation, besides provisions in every district civil hospital for consultation, treatment and counselling for sex reassignment surgery; and a provision for a suitable amount be made for those who want to opt for a sex change or free sex reassignment surgery in government hospitals, it says.
The panel also recommended that a policy should be formulated to address the issues of violence, discrimination and harassment at educational institutions by protecting gender non-conforming students from bullying, harassment or other forms of violence.
An "anti-discrimination cell" must be set up at the district level for transgender persons, and authorities must ensure the setting up of a "monitoring committee" at educational institutions to address the issues of prejudices, discrimination, sexual abuse and other violence against them, it said.
Loans on an interest subvention basis could be extended to transgender persons to help them set up their own businesses. Besides, wide publicity is to be given to the National Career Service Portal among the transgender community
