The Centre has decided to provide financial assistance to parents of transgender children to enable them to bring them up without discrimination and stigma. It will also ensure old age pension to transgenders to ensure a dignified life.
The government has also plans to provide scholarships to such children. About 5,000 beneficiaries are expected to be covered under these schemes.
The financial assistance scheme, fully sponsored by the Centre, provides for Rs. 1,000 per transgender child a month as monetary help to parents until it reaches 18 years. The parents will have to certify that the child is a transgender.
The schemes have been formulated on the recommendation of an expert committee set up by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to draft an umbrella scheme for the empowerment of transgenders.
The Centre wants to launch these schemes at the earliest and has written to State Chief Secretaries seeking their approval as some of these require some financial contribution from the States as well.
Most families find it difficult to accept it when their children start behaving in ways considered inappropriate to the expected gender role. Consequently, family members may threaten, scold or even beat up their children when they behave or dress like the opposite gender. Some parents may even disown them outright and evict them from home.
Parents may do so fearing the child will bring disgrace and shame to the family. They also believe the child will be unable to take care of them in old age.
Counselling and other mental health services are needed for the children as well as their parents. Monetary help will support the parents in bringing up their transgender children against societal intolerance, stigma, discrimination and violence.
The national pension scheme for transgenders envisages a monthly pension of Rs. 1,000 a month to each transgender aged between 40 and 60 to empower them financially and provide them a dignified life. Of this amount, Rs. 750 will be provided by the Centre while the remaining amount will have to be paid by the States.
In addition, the Centre will provide pre-matric scholarships to transgender students in Class VII to X and a post-matric scholarship for such students in Classes XI and above for studies in India. There will also be a scheme of assistance for skill development training to such people.
