A beacon of hope spreads through the transgender community in Manipur after the High Court of Manipur passed an order on Monday directing the state educational authorities, including BoSEM, CoHSEM, and the Medical Directorate, to accept and allow the change/update of the name and new gender identity of one doctor in place of what was earlier recorded in the certificates.
The petition was filed by 32-year-old Dr. Beoncy Laishram from Imphal West, the first transgender doctor from Manipur and perhaps from the region, who had her name recorded as Boiboi Laishram and gender as male in all the certificates.
Dr. Beoncy, who was originally registered as Boboi Laishram with her gender recorded as male, underwent hormone replacement therapy and sex reassignment surgery in October 2019 and subsequently obtained a transgender identity certificate under the provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
Following this, she was able to update her name and gender in several government-issued identity documents such as Aadhaar, voter ID, and PAN card. However, her repeated requests to the Board of Secondary Education Manipur, the Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur, Manipur University, and the Manipur Medical Council to make similar changes in her academic certificates and professional registration were not entertained, creating a significant obstacle in her academic and career prospects.
In his ruling, the Court noted that Sections 6 and 7 of the 2019 Act, read along with Rule 2(d) of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020, make it abundantly clear that a transgender person has the right to be recognised by their chosen name and gender in all official records, including educational qualifications.
The Court held that any refusal by state authorities to amend such documents not only violates statutory provisions but also infringes on the dignity and rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
The Court further observed that masking the identity of a transgender petitioner in such cases is unwarranted, since transgender individuals seeking justice should not be treated as victims of crime. Instead, their courage in asserting their rights must be recognised as a matter of pride and an inspiration for the wider community.
The judgment now ensures that all of Dr. Beoncy’s certificates, ranging from matriculation to her MBBS degree and medical registration, will be corrected to reflect her name and gender in accordance with law.
