New Delhi, April 9 -- The Delhi high court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Centre in petitions challenging the controversial amendments introduced in the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, particularly those relating to the revised definition of 'transgender', the removal of self-perceived identity as the basis for obtaining a transgender certificate from the district authority, and the proposed requirement of certification by a medical board. The Bill to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 was passed by Lok Sabha on March 24 and the Rajya Sabha on March 25 with a voice vote amid strong objections from the opposition that demanded that the bill be referred to a standing committee for wider consultations. It became law after President of India Droupadi Murmu gave her assent on March 30. A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia sought the Centre's response in two petitions and fixed July 22 as the next date of hearing. While one petition was filed by Dr Chandresh Jain, the other was filed by Lakshay Jain, a working professional. In his petition, Dr Jain, an advocate, contended that the amendment, by reintroducing state control over gender identity through mechanisms of verification and certification, amounts to a legislative rollback of a fundamental right already recognised by the Supreme Court in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India. "The Amendment violates the rights to dignity, privacy and decisional autonomy under Article 21..." the petition stated. htc...