High Court challenges adoption restrictions for transgenders

The Madras High Court has called on the Centre to justify the exclusion of transgender persons from adopting children, emphasising the government's statutory duty to promote the full inclusion and participation of transgender individuals in society.

- HD Bureau

The directive was issued by the First Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan, who raised the matter following a petition seeking clarity on adoption policies.

The court questioned why transgender individuals should not be allowed to adopt children, pointing to the legal framework that mandates the state to ensure the inclusion of marginalised communities, including transgender persons.

The bench made its stance clear, asserting that the government must provide a valid rationale for denying such individuals the right to adopt.