Centre to Recognize Transgender Certificates for PAN Card Applications

Centre to Recognize Transgender Certificates: The Indian government has informed the Supreme Court that it will accept a 'certificate of identity' issued by the district magistrate under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, as valid for applying for a PAN card. This means that transgender individuals can use this certificate as official documentation to get their PAN card.

Court's Reaction

Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, who are hearing the case, mentioned that the Union government has broadly agreed to this request. The government is also considering updating the rules to make this policy clearer and more formal.

Background of the Case

The Supreme Court is reviewing a 2018 petition from a transgender individual who faced issues linking her PAN card with her Aadhaar card. The problem was that PAN cards did not have a 'third gender' option, while Aadhaar cards did.

Petitioner's Request

Reshma Prasad, a social activist from Bihar, filed the petition. She had initially enrolled for a PAN card under the male category and received tax returns in the same category for several years. After a court ruling allowed a 'third gender' option on Aadhaar cards, Prasad wanted the PAN system to include this category too so she could have an accurate identity proof.

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What Happens Next?

The Supreme Court is waiting for the Union government to formally incorporate this change into the rules. This development is expected to help transgender individuals in getting proper recognition and documentation.