A Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and A.K. Sikri directed the government to take steps for granting recognition to transgenders as a separate third category of gender after male and female
The SC has directed the Central and State Govts to treat them as socially and economically backward classes and to grant them all facilities, including voters ID, passport and driving licence
The Govts have also been asked to provide reservation in jobs and education and provide medical facilities to transgenders.
The SC said that transgenders are citizens of the country and have equal rights to education, employment and social acceptability.
While delivering the order, the SC expressed concern over discrimination and harassment of transgenders in the country and directed the governments to take remedial measures. The court said that the status of the transgenders has degenerated and the time had come for their status to be brought at par with the status of the male and the female.
The case was filed in 2012 by a group of petitioners including prominent eunuch and activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi seeking equal rights for the transgender population under the law.
Laxmi Narayan Tripathi (second left) of Asia Pacific Transgender Network and other members are elated after the Supreme Court recognised transgenders as third gender.
The Election Commission distributed voters' cards to transgenders for the first time in 2013
Trangenders in Pakistan and Nepal
In September 2012, Pakistan's SC ruled that transgender people have the same rights as other citizens in matters of inheritance, education and employment.
The court ordered authorities in November 2011 to register transgender people as voters and issue them National ID Cards with a gender of their choice.
As per official records, there are 80,000 transgender people in Pakistan.
In December 2007, Nepal's SC declared full and fundamental human rights for all "sexual and gender minorities".
The court ordered the government to scrap all discriminatory laws and legally established a "third gender" category.
In January 2013, Nepal officially included the third gender on citizenship certificates and other documents.
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