COVID-19: Rajasthan High Court Directs State Govt To Take Appropriate Steps For Vaccination Of Transgender Persons

The Rajasthan High Court has directed the State authorities to take appropriate steps for Vaccination of transgender persons in the State against Covid-19.

Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur and Justice Sangeet Lodha was dealing with a plea seeking directions to the respondent authorities to facilitate COVID-19 vaccination for transgenders of the State of Rajasthan.

Advocate Pushkar Taimni, on behalf of the petitioners, submitted that the Centre has issued guidelines for the purpose of vaccinating transgenders, however, the same were not being implemented by the State of Rajasthan.

"The petition is disposed of with the directions to the State Authorities to look into the guidelines already issued by the Government of India vide order dated 20.5.21 and take appropriate steps for vaccination of the transgenders," the bench directed while disposing of the petition.

Recently, Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had informed the Lok Sabha that it has issued directions to all States/UTs to ensure that existing COVID vaccination centres are Transgender friendly and no discrimination is shown towards Transgender Persons, who come for taking their vaccination.

The Centre had also requested States/UTs to open vaccination camps for the Transgender community.

In a similar development, the Madras High Court last month directed the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that all transgender persons in the State are vaccinated within a period of 3 months.  The development came in a PIL filed by transgender rights activist Grace Banu Ganeshan seeking extension of cash benefits as well as conducting special vaccination drives for transgender persons in the State.

Case Title: Sambhali Trust v. State of Rajasthan & Ors.

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