HC mandates fresh ID for transgender doctor
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 19 2025: In a landmark ruling, the High Court of Manipur has directed the state's education boards, Manipur University and the Manipur Medical Council to issue fresh certificates recognising the new name and gender of a transgender doctor, asserting that institutions are bound to honour identity changes under national law.

Justice A Guneshwar Sharma delivered the judgment on Tuesday in favour of petitioner Dr Beoncy Laishram, who had undergone gender reassignment surgery in 2019 .

Born biologically male and named "Boboi Laishram" in official records, she later transitioned and was issued a transgender certificate and revised identity documents by the district magistrate of Imphal West.

Dr Beoncy Laishram

However, despite updating her Aadhaar, voter and PAN cards, authorities of several educational institutions refused to amend her school, university and medical certificates.

The court held that Dr Beoncy's right to self-identify is protected under Articles 14, 15, 16 and 21 of the Constitution as well as the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 .

It ruled that Sections 6 and 7 of the Act, which mandate recognition of revised names and genders following reassignment, must be "read into" the rules of all educational and professional bodies, even if their existing regulations do not provide for such changes.

"The refusal of the authorities to correct the petitioner's records is unsustainable," the court observed, noting that denial of updated certificates had prevented Dr Beoncy from pursuing postgraduate medical studies.

It described any insistence on starting corrections from the matriculation stage as "unfounded", making clear that every institution independently bears responsibility to comply with the law.

The judge further explained that concealing the petitioner's name would wrongly portray her as a crime victim.

Instead, he emphasised that openly recognising her as a pioneering transgender professional could inspire others to assert their rights.

In its order, the court directed the Board of Secondary Education Manipur, the Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur, Manipur University and the Manipur Medical Council to issue fresh certificates within one month, recording her name as "Beoncy Laishram" and gender as "female" .

It also instructed the chief secretary to circulate directions to all establishments to incorporate provisions of the Transgender Act into their by-laws and regulations.

Until formal amendments are made, Sections 6 and 7 of the Act would be deemed incorporated into all existing laws and rules in the state.

Rejecting objections raised by the education boards, the court clarified that minor discrepancies, such as a typographical error in the district magistrate's certificate, cannot override a transgender person's statutory right to identity.

Beoncy, a resident of Kwakwa in Imphal West, made history in 2018 when she became the first medical doctor from the transgender community in the entire Northeast region.

The court's directive is being hailed as a significant step toward affirming the rights and dignity of the trans-community in Manipur.

The ruling reflected earlier Supreme Court and High Court judgments affirming the right of transgender people to self-perceived identities.

In particular, it drew strength from the 2014 NALSA v Union of India case, which recognised the third gender and ordered governments to safeguard transgender rights.