LGBTQIA+ Rights Panel Met Only Twice in Two Years; Report Still Pending: Centre
The Central government informed the Lok Sabha that a high-powered committee, formed to examine the rights and entitlements of queer couples, has met only twice in over two years. The panel, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, is yet to submit its report, with no expected completion date provided.
In a written reply to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment BL Verma confirmed that the committee met on May 21 and August 22, 2024. The government's response, dated August 4, 2026, lists no further meetings of the full panel, indicating that its last recorded sitting was nearly two years ago.
Tharoor had sought details about the committee's mandate, the number of meetings held, reasons for the delay, and the expected timeline for its report. The Centre stated that the Supreme Court had not prescribed a specific deadline when it directed the constitution of the committee. The reply did not separately explain the gap since the second meeting or indicate when the panel would convene next.
Scope of the Committee
The committee's mandate extends beyond the question of legal recognition for same-sex marriages, which the Supreme Court declined to grant in its October 2023 judgment. The panel is expected to recommend measures that the Centre and state governments can take to ensure members of the queer community do not face discrimination while accessing goods and services.
It is also tasked with examining safeguards against violence, harassment, and coercion, as well as measures to prevent queer individuals from being subjected to involuntary medical treatment or surgery. The committee is further mandated to consider mental healthcare, non-discriminatory access to social-welfare benefits and entitlements, and any other related matter it deems necessary.
The committee was formally constituted on April 16, 2024, following the Supreme Court's directive. Apart from the Cabinet Secretary, it includes senior officials from the Home, Women and Child Development, Health, Legislative Affairs, and Social Justice departments.
Interim Measures Announced
While the report remains pending, the Centre listed several interim measures taken by various departments. States and Union Territories have been advised that partners in a queer relationship may be treated as members of the same household for ration-card purposes, and that they should not face discrimination when ration cards are issued.
On banking, the Department of Financial Services has clarified that there is no restriction on members of the queer community opening a joint bank account. An account holder can also nominate a queer partner to receive the balance after the holder's death, the parliamentary reply stated.
Healthcare and Conversion Therapy
The Health Ministry has asked states, Union Territories, and other stakeholders to take measures to protect the healthcare rights of LGBTQIA+ persons. These include awareness programmes, prohibition of conversion therapy, availability of sex reassignment surgery, changes in medical and educational curricula, teleconsultation services, and sensitisation and training of healthcare workers.
The Directorate General of Health Services has separately requested state health departments to improve healthcare access and reduce discrimination against the community. The ministry has also sought provisions allowing a queer partner to claim the body of a deceased person when a near relative or family member is unavailable.
The delay in the committee's report has drawn criticism from activists and opposition MPs, who argue that the interim measures, while welcome, do not substitute for a comprehensive framework protecting the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals. The government has not yet announced a new date for the committee's next meeting.
