NationalSunday, 27 September 2026·The Hindu - National
Supreme Court on transgender cards: 2026 law cannot erase accrued rights under 2014 NALSA and 2019 Act
The Supreme Court on August 3, 2026 said the new transgender law cannot automatically invalidate cards issued under earlier law.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On August 3, 2026, a three-judge Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant orally said the 2026 transgender law cannot, by default, invalidate transgender cards issued under the earlier legal framework.
Key specifics
- The petitioners challenged the 2026 Amendment Act, which came into force on March 30, 2026.
- The Court referred to the 2014 NALSA judgment, which upheld the right to self-determined gender identity.
- The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 was enacted after the 2014 NALSA ruling.
- Section 3 of the 2026 Act was cited by petitioners as omitting the right to self-perceived gender identity.
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the Union government and raised issues of succession and inheritance.
Exam lens
Polity and social justice match-the-following: NALSA (2014), Transgender Persons Act (2019), 2026 Amendment Act, and the principle of self-identification. TNPSC may ask which judgment recognised transgender rights and which law followed it.