Transgender rights bill might be reintroduced this Parliament session, say MPs

The government is committed to ensuring the rights of transgender people, two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members of Parliament said on Friday, indicating that the controversial transgender rights bill may be introduced in Parliament during the ongoing session.
At a public hearing and event to mark transgender rights in Delhi, the two — East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir and North East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari, along with senior doctors, police officers, journalists and public policy professionals — heard testimonies of various transgender activists ranging from housing problems and human rights violations to education woes and family violence.
“The Prime Minister’s dream of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ won’t be fulfilled until all of you are a part of it,” Gambhir said at the eighth Hijra Habba. “We are trying to address your problems through the transgender rights bill… this government understands your issues, they won’t go unheard,” Tiwari added.
The transgender rights bill, originally introduced in 2016, triggered a controversy with many activists saying the legislation hurt the community and didn’t address key issues such as violence, employment, education and separate quotas. The bill was sent to a parliamentary committee, and lapsed with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha. The government has already said it is committed to bringing the bill before Parliament again. Tiwari suggested that there could be more discussion if activists found some provisions problematic.
The event also marked five years of the landmark Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the rights of transgender people. “This day is important for us. We are as much citizens as anyone else, and we should get as much rights as anyone else,” Simran Sheikh, an activist, said.
Abhina Aher, another activist, flagged that transgender people continued to face issues with housing and loans.
-
'Horror house’: DCW chief on Delhi civic body-run schools
The Delhi Commission for Women conducted a surprise check of civic body-run schools in the national capital to look into safety and security measures in place for girl students in wake of recent reports of molestation. DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal, who led the team, called the condition of some of these schools “pathetic, unsafe and deeply disturbing”.
-
Monday Musings: Civic-centric, but unpopular, projects could take off under administrator
Pune: For over two months now, some of the big municipal corporations in the state, including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Nashik, are under administrator's rule. Same goes with illegal encroachments and other civic inconveniences. In Pune, municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar, who is also serving as the administrator, has been pushing for expediting projects, some unpopular and seemingly difficult to be executed, if public representatives are in the game.
-
Punjab CM for direct flights from Mohali airport to US, Canada
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday directed the state civil aviation department to immediately tie up with the Centre for direct flights to countries such as the US and Canada from the international airport in Mohali. Also read: Rain brings respite from heat wave in Punjab, Haryana At present, only two international flights are operational from the airport to Dubai and Sharjah.
-
Uttarakhand: Char Dham Yatra to Kedarnath halted amid heavy rain; IMD warns of thunderstorms
The Char Dham Yatra to Kedarnath was halted on Monday amid gusty winds, heavy rain and snowfall in Uttarakhand even as the pilgrimage to Gangotri, Yamunotri, Hemkund Sahib, and Badrinath continued as usual. “Hemkund Sahib experienced light snow on the day the portals of the shrine were opened but it has not affected the yatra,” said Hemkund Sahib Management Trust vice president NS Bindra. Over 10,000 pilgrims were waiting for the yatra to resume.
-
Four drown as boat capsizes in UP's Varanasi, 2 rescued
At least four persons drowned and two others were rescued after a boat capsized near Prabhu Ghat in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Monday. Police rushed to the spot and an NDRF team was also called to help in rescue efforts. According to officials, the six people were sailing on the Ganga river near the ghat when water started filling up through a hole in the boat. Soon after, the boat capsized.