In a First in Rajasthan, Transgender Issued Birth Certificate

In a first of its kind, a transgender has been issued a birth certificate by the Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation, officials said on Friday.

Bhanwarlal Bairwa, Director of Economic and Statistics Department and Chief Registrar (Births and Deaths), issued Rajasthan’s first transgender birth certificate to Noor Shekhawat of Jaipur on Wednesday, they added.

Bhairwa said along with the birth records of males and females, the birth records of transgender persons will now be available on the corporation’s portal.

An awareness programme will also be launched to encourage transgenders to apply for their birth certificates, Bhairwa said.

Shekhawat’s gender was registered as ’male’ at the time of birth, he added.

Shekhawat, who passed Class 12 from an English medium school and runs a voluntary organisation for the transgender community, said this initiative will help the government maintain records of transgender persons along with those of disabled persons, men and women.

Shekhawat now plans to urge authorities to provide employment opportunities to the transgender community and reservation in jobs.