The Gauhati High Court has asked the Union and Assam Governments to provide an update on the steps taken for the education, health and social security of the transgender.

Hearing a petition by Swati Bidhan Baruah on Thursday, Justices N. Kotiswar Singh and Manish Choudhury said that if the State as well as the Union Government took measures in accordance with the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, the difficulties faced by the community could be addressed.

The order was focussed on Chapter VI of the Act dealing with education, social security and health of transgender persons. The chapter says the government shall formulate welfare schemes for the livelihood of transgender persons.

The Act seeks the establishment of separate human immunodeficiency virus centres to conduct serosurveillance for transgender persons in accordance with the guidelines issued by the National AIDS Control Organisation and a comprehensive insurance scheme for sex reassignment surgery, hormonal therapy, laser therapy or any other form of treatment.