India’s first gender-neutral cell set up in Hyderabad jail:Transgender inmates to get separate identity after Human Rights Commission’s intervention

Prisons in the past had only male and female wards, making it difficult to decide where transgender inmates should be housed. Now, a separate gender-neutral cell will be available for them, where they can live according to their gender identity and wear clothes of their choice. Following the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India’s first gender-neutral cell has been set up at Hyderabad Central Jail. The NHRC announced this on Thursday. The initiative follows a visit to the prison on October 8 by the NHRC’s Special Monitor, who oversees matters relating to the rights of transgender people and the LGBTQ+ community. Home Ministry’s guidelines for transgender inmates Separate wards or cells should be created for transgender inmates, away from male and female wards, but they should not be completely isolated. Separate toilet and bathroom facilities should be provided. Searches should be conducted either by a person of the gender preferred by the inmate or by trained medical staff. Strip searches should be carried out only in private and must not be used to determine an inmate’s gender. Their gender identity should be respected during prison admission, medical examinations, clothing arrangements and accommodation. Prisons should help transgender inmates obtain certificates recognising their gender identity. They should not face discrimination in healthcare or be denied hormone therapy or gender-affirming care. Delhi High Court issued an order in September In September 2026, the Delhi High Court directed the Centre and Delhi Police to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the arrest and detention of transgender people in accordance with the NHRC’s May 2026 advisory. The petition argued that Delhi Police had guidelines for dealing with women but no specific rules for transgender people. Hyderabad is not alone; work also begins in Aurangabad Harsul Central Jail in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Maharashtra, currently houses 16 transgender inmates. A tender worth ₹12.12 crore has been issued to construct a separate barrack for them. An open prison with a capacity of 100 inmates is also being developed at the facility. This indicates that several prisons are now moving towards providing separate accommodation for transgender inmates.