Nineteen of India’s 28 states and eight union territories lack a functional Transgender Welfare Board, despite legal mandates.
Most of the boards that have been established in 17 regions operate without policies, compliance framework, or any substantial authority.
This lack of oversight, combined with an absence of policies, has left transgender Indians without access to critical services.
India’s 2011 Census says there are 487,803 trans people in the country, yet only 5.6 percent have managed to apply for a trans identity card.