Hyderabad, May 29 -- For a community long pushed to the margins, a job offer from a government agency has meant far more than employment. Sixteen transgender individuals recruited by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) say the opportunity has given them a new sense of identity and purpose, one they now carry into the field every day as members of the agency's Eagle Team.

Of the 16 inducted, 11 are trans women, and five are trans men. They work alongside regular HYDRAA staff in protecting public assets, participating in the removal of encroachments from ponds and canals, and helping secure parks and other government properties.

Their on-ground role has already seen results. The Eagle Team played an active...