Jammu and Kashmir makes an announcement about a transgender welfare board to protect the community.

On Tuesday, the government of Jammu and Kashmir said that a transgender welfare board would be set up to protect the rights and interests of the very small number of transgender people. As of the 2011 Census, there were 4,137 transgender people living in Jammu and Kashmir.

A formal order said that the 13-person transgender welfare board would be led by the Chief Secretary.

Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, the head of the General Administration Department, said in an order that the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020, Clause 10, “sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of Transgender Welfare Board for protection of rights and interests of transgender persons and to facilitate their access to government schemes and welfare measures in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir” (1).

Along with administrative secretaries from departments like home, finance, health and medical education, school education, and social welfare, the directors general of social welfare in Kashmir and the director of social welfare in Jammu were suggested as board members.

“Two from Kashmir division and two from Jammu division” were the other four candidates for the board.