India, May 4 -- The Supreme Court of India declined to grant an interim stay on the 2026 amendment to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, which removes the provision for self-identification of gender.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the Centre and states on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the amendment. The court said the matter would be examined by a three-judge bench but made it clear that there would be no interim relief at this stage.

The amended law mandates that a transgender identity certificate can only be issued by a district magistrate based on the recommendation of a medical board, replacing the earlier provision of self-identi...