Every Indian citizen, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, etc., has a right to change their gender. They have the right to do so if they feel they don’t align with the gender they are born into. These people are called Transsexuals, who opt to change to different gender with medical help in the form of Gender Change Surgery in India.
It has been made possible for transgender people who undergo SRS Surgery in India. They can identify themselves according to their sexuality on their govt Identities like Aadhar cards, PAN cards, etc.
Steps to Create a Gender Change Affidavit
Once a person has decided to change their gender, they have to start with preparing an affidavit declaring the change of gender along with a gender name change (if needed). This affidavit must contain the person’s name, their father’s name, address, age & gender and must adhere to the format published by the Department of Publication. These mentioned details are supposed to be used as a supporting proof. This affidavit must be printed on a stamp paper and shall be notarized.
Publishing Advertisement
The next step is to advertise in a leading newspaper in your city or state. The content to be placed in the same advertisement should be the same per the affidavit.
Gazette Procedure
This is the step in which the duly signed application has to be filled out along with the mandatory documents. There is a prescribed fee by the govt, which has to be paid at the time of filing. A Gazette is an official magazine published by the govt.
Gazette Publication
After the submission of the application, the Dept of Publication will review the application for gender reassignment. After the approval, the gender change will be published on Govt e-Gazette. It will take up to 45-60 business days for the transformation of gender notification to appear in the e-Gazette.
What If the department rejects the Application
Sometimes the application can be rejected by the Department of Publication if the due procedures are not followed. Still, you can apply for the application again. You can also get legal assistance from lawyers to ensure no mistakes and due procedures are observed.
Documents Necessary for Gender Change Application
- Two Self-attested copies of govt-issued IDs (Aadhar/Voter ID/ Passport).
- Two Self-attested passport-size pictures.
- A specimen proforma signed by the applicant and two witnesses.
- A declaration stating that the information provided in the application is accurate.
- A letter of request along with the registration fee to the authority.
You can also change your gender in your govt IDs like Aadhar, PAN Card, Passport, Birth certificate, etc. For this, you have to follow the due steps provided for each application to change your gender and name(if required).
Therefore, It is possible for every Indian to change their gender legally and without facing any trouble if due procedures are followed for this process.
Understanding the transgender community is the need of the hour if we wish to help them in the true sense.