Transgenders would be included in the Birth and Death Registers in Odisha.
While several other States have taken the steps in this regard, Odisha was yet to take such an initiative, resulting in resentment among the people of Third Gender.
The Odisha Government has now taken a decision to include an option of transgenders in the reporting form of births and deaths in the sex column, said sources.
The registration of births and deaths is done under the provisions of the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969, but there are no provisions so far for the ‘Transgenders’ in the Act. Only ‘Male’ and ‘Female’ columns were there in the ‘Sex’ column of the Birth and Death Registers.
However in a landmark judgment passed on April 15, 2014, the Supreme Court recognised transgenders as the Third Sex allowing them equal access to education, healthcare and employment and prohibiting discrimination against them.
The move reflects a growing wave of recognition of the rights of transgender internationally.
According to a Report by the Global Commission on HIV and the law, a number of countries, including Argentina, Uruguay and Portugal, have recently passed progressive legislations on transgenders.
Now, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India has issued circular to all the Chief Registrars of Births and Deaths of the State Governments to revise the reporting form of birth and death and add an option of transgenders in the sex column, viz., Male/Female/Transgender.
Chief Secretary AP Padhi has asked the State Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths to immediately take steps in this regard. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Sailesh is also pursuing the matter with the State Government, sources said.