Transgender Bill 2018: A classic case of protection peppered with policing

Unfortunately, India's transgender community continues to wait on the outskirts of society

Two years ago, Tharika Banu became the first registered transgender person to clear the Class XII exams in Tamil Nadu. In the months that followed, thanks to a 2017 Madras High Court order, Tharika went on to join a government medical college in Chennai. Tharika credits her mother, Grace Banu, for ensuring her gender identity didn’t come in the way of her education.

On paper, Tharika is not Banu’s daughter. But Banu informally adopted Tharika after the latter's biological parents refused to accept her transgender identity. Indian laws currently have no provision for a member of the third-sex community to adopt