The Bihar government makes a major move this week, forming a new Welfare Board specifically for the transgender community. This ground-breaking decision directly addresses the long-standing needs and rights of transgender people across the state. The board will work to improve their lives, ensure fair treatment. help them get access to essential services like education and health. For years, the transgender community has faced many problems and unfairness in society. This new board offers a strong step towards equality and inclusion in Bihar, setting a clear example for other states to follow in protecting a vulnerable group.
A New Board is Set Up
The government in Bihar has recently set up a special welfare board for the transgender community. This new body is named the ‘Bihar Rajya Kinnar Kalyan Board’. It has been formed to make sure that the rights of transgender people are safe and to help them grow in society. The Social Welfare Department has put out a public note about the board’s formation. Bihar Social Welfare Minister Madan Sahni will lead this board as its chairman. The board has a total of 28 members. Among these members, seven are from the transgender community itself. This is a key part of the board, as it helps make sure that the community’s own voices are heard in crucial decisions. The goal is to create a good atmosphere where transgender people can feel safe and live with respect, just like anyone else in the country. The board has been set up again for the next three years. It includes 18 government members and seven non-government members. The government members come from many vital departments. These include departments like Finance, Home, General Administration, Health, Rural Development, Urban Development, Planning and Development, Education. Labor Resources. This wide range of members shows that the government wants to work on many different areas to help the transgender community.
Why This Step Matters
For a long time, transgender people have faced many problems in daily life. They have often been treated badly when trying to find a home, get medical care, go to school, or find work. Many times, they have not been able to take part in social and cultural events. This has made it hard for them to get education, healthcare. use public places. Such issues go against their right to be treated equally under the law. Transgender individuals often live in difficult situations because of the bad feelings and unfair treatment they face from society. They may be seen in wrong ways or face name-calling. This lack of safety in laws can lead to many transgender people not having jobs, not having a stable place to live. being pushed to the edges of society. There have been cases where they face physical and verbal abuse, forced marriages, or are even forced into begging. Getting basic medical care is also a big problem for them because medical staff sometimes do not grasp their needs or treat them well. The government has noted these long-standing issues, such as social stigma, unfair treatment, lack of education. problems with public health services and job chances.
What the Board Will Work On
The main work of the ‘Bihar Rajya Kinnar Kalyan Board’ is to make, carry out. check plans for the social and money-related growth of the transgender community. The board will act as a link between the government and the community members. The board plans to put in place and watch over different steps for the social growth of transgender people. One crucial goal is to give them education and job training so they can find good and steady work. This will help them improve their social and money-related standing in society. Here are some specific things the board aims to do:
- Help transgender people get bank loans to start their own businesses through self-help groups. District offices have been asked to put this plan into action.
- Build separate public toilets for them.
- Get some transgender people to help spread insights about the government’s plans for women and children’s welfare.
- Set up “Facilitation Centers” in each district. These centers will have at least two transgender community members as part of their staff to help people.
- Create a special website for the third gender. This website will share crucial details, like laws related to the third gender.
- Make short films or videos with the help of transgender community members to raise awareness.
The Social Welfare Department wants this community to become a full part of society and move forward in social, education. money-related areas. The government is also looking to make sure they get opportunities for education and employment. Training, guidance. programs that offer chances will be put in place for this.
Working Towards a Better Life
Government officials have shared their views on this new step. Social Welfare Department Secretary Bandana Preyashi said that the government wants to give transgender people a safe place where they can live with respect, just like other people in the country. She also said that the board’s main role is to protect the rights of the transgender community and to take steps for their social growth and empowerment. The setup of this board is seen as an crucial step towards making society more accepting for transgender people. Through this board, the government wants to give the transgender community a place where they can talk about their problems and also help find answers to those problems. It is hoped that this will help them lead a life of dignity.
“The department has formed the ‘Bihar Rajya Kinnar Kalyan Board’ to protect the rights of the transgender community and take steps for their social growth and empowerment. The board has seven members from the transgender community,” said Bandana Preyashi, Social Welfare Department Secretary.
“The government is trying to provide them an atmosphere where they feel protected and live a respectful life like any other citizen in the country,” she added.
Previous Efforts
The idea of setting up welfare boards for transgender people is not entirely new. The Supreme Court of India gave an crucial decision in 2014, known as the NALSA judgment. This judgment recognized the rights of transgender people and asked the central and state governments to take various steps for their welfare. It also asked for them to be seen as a third gender for the purpose of protecting their rights. The judgment called for banning unfair treatment and suggested making welfare rules and reserving spots for transgender people in schools and jobs. Following this, the Indian Parliament passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act in 2019. This law aims to protect the rights of transgender people and work for their welfare. The rules of this Act, put in place in 2020, aim to give identity to transgender people and stop unfair treatment in areas like education, jobs, healthcare. property rights. The Act also says that all state and union governments must form a board to keep transgender rights safe and help them get government welfare plans. Bihar had already told the Supreme Court in 2021 that it had taken steps to protect the rights of the transgender community. The state government had said then that the Bihar State Transgender Welfare Board was set up in 2015. This older board was looking at and carrying out steps for the social growth of the transgender community. It also had transgender people as members to make sure they were seen and given power. The state has also been working to count transgender people to include them in social safety plans. The current action to set up the ‘Bihar Rajya Kinnar Kalyan Board’ again shows continued focus on these essential issues. 
