According to Media Reports, The Indian Army is examining the possibility of inducting Transgender in the Indian Army.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, and its implications are being examined by the Indian Armed Forces to determine potential employment opportunities and roles for transgender individuals.
To pave the way for the employment of transgender persons in defense roles, the Indian Armed Forces are looking at possible employment opportunities for them and the roles they can perform,
If it gets approved then India will become a part of the 19-country club that allows transgenders in the military. Currently, 19 countries, including the US, the UK, and Israel allow for their recruitment in the services.
The Netherlands was the first to do so in 1974.
As of date, the Indian Armed Forces does not permit transgenders into service. However, after permitting women into the military, the three branches seek to induct transgenders.
While a range of suggestions have been received on the same, most insist that if transgenders had to be inducted, they would not be given any special concessions in terms of training, selection standards or posting in difficult locations.
Some others have also listed out the possible problems such as housing, and administrative issues in inducting transgenders into the service.
An officer, speaking to the daily, said, “The military cannot be looked at as just an employment opportunity. There are administrative challenges such as lack of housing and toilets, particularly in field locations where there is a paucity of resources and space.”
“Restricting their postings to only peace stations would cut opportunities for others after a field tenure,” the officer said.
Notably, the Indian Navy in 2017 had dismissed Sabi Giri, earlier known as Manish Kumar Giri. At the time of her dismissal, the Navy had said in a statement, “The serving sailor who underwent sex reassignment surgery at a private facility whilst on leave was administratively discharged from the service. The individual chose to undergo irreversible gender reassignment on his own accord, whilst on leave wilfully altering his gender status from the one he was recruited for at the time of his induction.”
However, she had challenged the Navy’s decision before the Delhi High Court. It was then that the Navy allowed her to take the exam for the ‘tradesman mate’ position but later went back on their promise.
Earlier, in 2020, the officials of the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) told the Union government that they would recruit transgender persons to the officer cadre post of assistant commandants.
Notably, Tamil Nadu appointed India’s first transgender police officer in 2015, while Chhattisgarh was the first to actively recruit members of the transgender community in its police force.
