Transgender Activist Moves SC For Third Gender Option In PAN Cards [Read Petition]

Even as the Supreme Court had way back in the year 2014 assured that transgenders be treated as “third gender” and granted legal recognition of their identities, they continue to face hardships in routine affairs such as filing of income tax returns since there is no option for a “third gender” on PAN cards and forms.Faced with trouble in filing income tax returns, a transgender. Even as the Supreme Court had way back in the year 2014 assured that transgenders be treated as “third gender” and granted legal recognition of their identities, they continue to face hardships in routine affairs such as filing of income tax returns since there is no option for a “third gender” on PAN cards and forms. Faced with trouble in filing income tax returns, a transgender social activist from Patna, Bihar, has moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre to create a separate “third gender” category on PAN cards and application forms for PAN to enable transgender persons to get accurate identity proofs. In her petition filed through Human Rights Law Network, Reshma has challenged the September 19, 2017 order passed by the High Court at Patna dismissing her petition for self-identify as the Third Gender in PAN for the purpose of linking PAN and Aadhaar and to avail of the associated benefits.