India, April 1 -- The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, which introduces graded punishment for offences causing bodily harm to transgender persons, has received the assent of President Droupadi Murmu.

According to a notification issued by the Law Ministry on March 30, the amended law will come into force on a date to be notified by the Central Government in the official gazette.

The legislation aims to strengthen protections for transgender individuals by clearly defining offences and prescribing varying degrees of punishment based on the severity of harm. It also seeks to provide a more precise definition of the term "transgender".

However, the bill has triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties, ...