Take Advantage Of Transgender Identity Card! Read these tips…

In 2020, the Government of India made a set of rules called the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules. The rules made the process of obtaining ID cards much easier. You can apply for the cards online . This is a change from the earlier gazette method that we have discussed here. 

After coming out and realising that you do not recognise yourself with the binary given to you during birth, it is essential to get it certified by the government to get the benefits under any Transgender schemes that the government has- but also it makes your identity as a Trans person official. 

These ID cards would save you from being misgendered in an official capacity by officialising your identity.

Transgender ID cards can be applied easily from the comfort of your home through the Transgender portal of the government. Through this portal, you can safely apply for an identity card without the hassle of going through various offices and answering multiple questions.

So to apply, you have to go to the portal. The Portal provides the facility for a transgender person to apply for a certificate and identity card from across the country without a physical interface through a seamless end-to-end mechanism. The Transgender certificate & identity card are nationally recognised and provided by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, the certificate is a mandatory document to avail the welfare measures being provided under the SMILE scheme. 

SMILE stands for Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise. The new umbrella scheme aims to provide welfare measures to the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging. The scheme will give the necessary legal protection, social security and a promise to a secured life to the targeted group. It has scholarships for further studies, skill development courses, medical help, and protection cell.

Here are the steps you could follow to apply for a Transgender ID Card.

1. Go to the portal and register yourself, if you have already registered then log in on to the portal with your registered ID.
2. Apply for the ID through a new application.
3. You will need a few basic details for it, a photograph, your signature and an affidavit stating your identity.
4. The affidavit would cost you a maximum of 200 bucks to prepare. The format of the affidavit can be found here.
5. It is important that you provide accurate area information in the application because the application will be processed through the DM office and inaccuracy will lead to delay.
6. After applying you can check your application status regularly too.
7. Apart from that, there is also an option to withdraw your application in case of any changes.
8. The application is processed and the IDs are sent within 15-30 days of your application submission. It is mandatory for the district administration to send you your ID cards within 30 days.
9. If you still haven’t received your cards or are having any troubles in the process you can go to your District Magistrate and enquire. This will prompt them to check on your application and either send you a status letter or call you to inform you.
10. Apart from this, if there are any issues during the application process or if you are having any difficulty then it is advisable that you call the helpline number stated on the portal or email them. 
11. The general helpline number is 011- 20893988 and email-id is satvik.nisd@gmail.com 
12. If you have any technical issues you can contact 91 79 23268299 or email them at tghelp@mail.inflibnet.ac.in 
13. If you are still having trouble with following through then you can always rely on NGOs who will ease up the process for you!

The portal has all the information in place and is extremely helpful. The process will not be too hard. If you have any questions and want to sort it out by yourself, information is available in both Hindi and English.

Lastly, if there is any difficulty or delay you should go and talk to the DM office directly. It has happened in some cases that the card has been blocked and you can only sort it out by talking to them. They cannot deny you service or be discriminatory, keep that in mind if you deal with any Transphobia.

You can also refer to the website for how to go about the grievances. 

If you are further interested in defining your binary identity then you can apply again under Section 7 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019. You can apply again with a certificate from a Medical Superintendent and then wait for 15-20 more days to avail your gender binary card!

A Trans ID card which validates your identity officially would make the process of transitioning and feeling okay with yourself easier. It is important that we avail of this facility and not feel obliged to go by our birth identity if it makes us uncomfortable.