The legal foundation of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026 traces back to NALSA v. Union of India, where the Supreme Court recognised transgender persons as a “third gender” and affirmed that self-identification of gender forms part of dignity and personal liberty under Article 21. Following this landmark ruling, Parliament enacted the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, India’s first comprehensive statute granting legal recognition, anti-discrimination protections, and welfare measures to transgender persons. The 2026 Amendment Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on 13 March 2026 by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar, seeks to substantially restructure this framework. While the 2019 law recognised self-perceived gender identity through a self-declaration model, the proposed amendment narrows the definition of “transgender person” to specified socio-cultural identities and medically recognised intersex variations, explicitly excluding identities based solely on self-perception or sexual orientation. It also introduces a mandatory medical board recommendation before issuance of a transgender identity certificate, replacing the earlier affidavit-based process. The Bill further mandates revised certification after gender-affirming surgery, enables correction of names in official records, and introduces stricter criminal penalties for coercive mutilation or forced gender identity practices. However, critics argue that the medicalisation of identity may conflict with constitutional guarantees of equality, expression, autonomy, and dignity recognised in NALSA, raising serious questions under Articles 14, 15, 19(1)(a), and 21.