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4w ago

Supreme Court Seeks Replies on Plea for Transgender-Inclusive Sexuality Education in Schools

The bench set a six-week deadline for responses to a student's plea alleging non-implementation of court directives under a statutory mandate.

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In December 2024, the court underscored the centrality of sexuality education in tackling child marriage. (HT PHOTO)
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Supreme Court seeks Centre, NCERT reply on transgender-inclusive sexuality education

Overview

  • A bench of CJI Bhushan R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran issued notices to the Centre, NCERT, and the governments of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
  • The petition by 16-year-old Kaavya Mukherjee Saha, a Class XII student from Delhi’s Vasant Valley School, seeks examinable, age-appropriate, transgender-inclusive CSE embedded across school systems.
  • Counsel pointed to an NCERT RTI reply stating the council had “no information” on introducing such content, arguing this shows past Supreme Court directions have not been carried out.
  • The plea cites the 2014 NALSA ruling, Sections 2(d) and 13 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, and the court’s December 2024 judgment endorsing UNESCO/WHO guidance on CSE to help prevent child marriage.
  • A textbook review submitted with the PIL reports systemic omissions across several states, with Kerala a partial exception, and notes that reliance on NCERT texts in about 23 states heightens the impact of any gaps.