Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, introduced a scheme for transgender persons named ‘Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’. It is a sub-scheme of Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) formulated by the Ministry.
On 22nd December 2021, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, A. Narayanaswamy told about this in a written reply in Rajya Sabha. The Standing Finance Committee of Govt. of India has approved the scheme on 30th November 2021.
The focus of the sub-scheme is on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities and intervention, counseling, education, skill development, economic linkages to the transgender persons of the country.
Another scheme, PM-DAKSH, has also provided skill development training to the transgender beneficiaries under the Ministry.
On 21st August, 2020, National Council for Transgender Persons was constituted to advise Government on policies, programs, legislation and projects concerning transgender persons.
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment also launched a National Portal for Transgender Persons on 25th November 2020. Now transgender applicants can obtain a Certificate of Identity and Identity Card without any physical interface with the office of issue. The person who has been issued a certificate of identity is entitled to change the first name in the birth certificate and all other official documents relating to the identity of such person.
Ministry has initiated 12 pilot shelter homes for transgender persons, namely ‘Garima Greh’. The main aim of these shelter homes is to provide safe and secure shelter to transgender persons in need. These pilot shelter homes are in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.
Ministry has provided full financial assistance to community-based organizations (CBOs) for setting up these shelter homes that provide basic amenities like food, shelter, medical care, recreational facilities, and conduct capacity-building and skill development programs for Transgender persons.