State Directed To Provide Certificates With Changed Name, Gender To Transwoman

Trans Doctor's identity recognised , Meghalaya HC orders for issuing. Fresh certificates 

In a what is seen as a landmark judgment on transgender rights across the country, the Manipur High Court has directed the state educational department to immediately issue fresh academic certificates reflecting the new name and gender identity of transwoman doctor Beoncy Laishram.

The 32-year-old doctor had filed a petition at the court to change her name and gender from transgender to female in her education certificates. She had undergone a gender reassignment surgery in 2019.

Ms Beoncy hails from Kwakwa in Imphal West and had become the first transgender from Manipur in 2018 to have become a doctor. She is also the first ever transgender doctor in entire northeast region.

In the court's order, the authorities have been asked to issue fresh certificates with  gender "female" under the name "Beoncy Laishram," replacing the original entries of "male" and "Boboi Laishram."

In her petition, the doctor has claimed that there was a refusal of the education boards and the state medical council to update her details in terms of name and gender and this refusal has prevented her from doing her post graduation in medicine, due to which she could not appear for the NEET-PG.

The doctor was issued with a transgender certificate by the Imphal West district magistrate under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 that recognised her new name and her identity as a female.

With the help of that certificate, she had been reissued an Aadhaar, Voter ID and PAN cards.

But the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM), Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur (COHSEM), Manipur University, and Manipur Medical Council rejected the certificate and didn't issue her fresh certificates.

That has caused inconsistency in her documents and therefore she was unable to apply for any official work or even apply for higher studies.