New bill marks a regressive turn in transgender rights
This opinion was published in Hindustan Times on March 17, 2026.
About the Authors
Shireen currently works as a Research Fellow, Founder's Office. Shireen holds a Master's degree in Sociology from Delhi School of Economics, and a BA(H) Sociology from University of Delhi. Prior to joining Vidhi, she worked with the Office of Dr. Virander Singh Chauhan, where she led research, communications, and advocacy on public health issues, particularly mental health & suicide prevention, glaucoma, and tuberculosis. She has an extensive experience working on areas of gender rights, public health, environment, and looking at how intersectional identities impact social issues.
Jwalika is a Research Fellow in the Research Director's Office at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, Delhi. She holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (LLM-equivalent) degree from the University of Oxford and a BA LLB (Hons) from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore. Her areas of interest include family law, equality and anti-discrimination law, and human rights, with a special emphasis on gender and sexuality. She is on the Board of Directors at OutLawed India, a not-for-profit organisation working to improve access to law and justice. At Vidhi, she has been providing legislative drafting assistance to various Ministries, Departments, and Authorities of the Central Government and various State Governments.