Manipur HC directs issuance of fresh certificates with new name to doctor who changed sex

Imphal | The High Court of Manipur on Tuesday directed the authorities, including the state Medical Council, to issue fresh educational certificates to a doctor who underwent a sex change surgery, with a new name and gender.

The person concerned, who was born male but later transitioned to female following the operation, had moved the court after educational boards and universities did not accede to her request to provide new certificates with a new name and gender.

She already acquired Aadhaar card, PAN card and voter ID card in her new identity.

Hearing a petition filed by 32-year-old Dr Beoncy Laishram, a single bench of Justice A Guneshwar Sharma said the petitioner is a biological male and the name was recorded as 'Boboi Laishram' in all certificates and documents.

In her class 10 and 12 board exam certificates, MBBS certificate, Medical Council registration and other related documents, the sex was recorded as 'male'.

The petitioner has undergone gender reassignment surgery on October 8, 2019, and became a woman, the court said.

"District Magistrate of Imphal West previously issued a transgender identity card under the new name as Dr Beoncy Laishram with gender as 'female' and date of birth as 08.03.1991,” the bench said in the order.

Subsequently, her new name and gender were updated in her Aadhaar card, Voter ID card and PAN card, the bench said.

"The petitioner had approached to the Chairman, Board of Secondary Education Manipur, the Chairman, Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur, the Registrar, Manipur University (MU), requesting change of gender and name on the education certificates as 'Beoncy Laishram' and gender as 'female' in place of 'Boboi Laishram' and gender as 'male', the court said.

However, none of the authorities have acceded to her request, it said.

The bench directed the respondents board, councils, and university to issue fresh education certificates under the new name and gender of the petitioner under the provisions of the Transgender Act, 2019 and the Transgender Rules, 2020, within one month.

The Manipur chief secretary shall issue necessary directions to all the establishments, according to the court order.