The Supreme Court has issued formal notices to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the Union government, and six state governments, directing them to respond to a plea calling for the incorporation of transgender-inclusive comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in school syllabi.
The plea was filed by Kavya Mukherjee Saha, a Class 12 student at Vasant Valley School in Delhi. It contends that current educational materials fail to include transgender identities and issues, despite existing legal obligations.
In her petition, Saha highlighted the absence of transgender-inclusive content in textbooks published by NCERT and various State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). The petition calls for the nationwide implementation of binding guidelines on gender sensitization and comprehensive sexuality education that is inclusive of transgender persons.
A bench of the Supreme Court, after a preliminary hearing, acknowledged the legal and constitutional questions raised and sought formal responses from the involved parties.
The petitioner argues that the current exclusion violates fundamental rights, including the right to equality and dignity, and disregards principles established in the NALSA v. Union of India judgment and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
The court has given the respondents a set time to file their counter-affidavits. The case is expected to be listed for further hearing after replies are received.
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