kolkata the bengal assembly on friday passed the west bengal transgender persons protection of rights rules 2022 making protection from discrimination right to healthcare employment education and legal rights for transgender persons parliament had passed the transgender persons protection of rights act 2019 under which several states are framing rules to enforce them legallyunder the rules bengal now identifies transgender persons as those whose gender differs from what it was at birth it brings under its ambit trans men and women people who have intersex variations queers and people with distinct identities like hijras the rule says a person recognized as a transgender person under the provisions of the said act shall have a right to selfperceived gender identityaccording to sources this is also considered to be a step in the direction of reservation of transgenders under the other backward classes obc across all sections and also bring the transgenders under the ambit of right to education and livelihood it also proposed to set up a nodal police system to protect transpersons from abuse in the landmark nalsa judgment in 2014 the apex court recognised equality liberty and dignity for transgenders and treating them as educationally and socially backward persons in education and public jobsstate finance minister chandrima bhattacharya said the rules are being framed based on the main act this will ensure equal rights for transgenders in matters of education job and other areas irrespective of gender the rules have been framed aligned to the main act for proper implementation like bengal several other states including odisha jharkhand bihar chhattisgarh manipur and gujarat have started implementing the act after framing the rules bengal incidentally has been among the foremost to start a state transgender board activists welcomed the move but added this should have come sooner given the states proactive role on transgender rights we hope that implementation is done in true letter and spirit and look forward to getting various rights including education health and employment said ranjita sinha an activist who is a former member of the state transgender board this shows how considerate cm mamata banerjee is in establishing and protecting rights for all the cm has fought throughout her life to establish and protect the rights of people she visualised that the transgenders rights should be protected in this way transgenders rights have been honoured irrespective of gender this is a historic decision taken by the state cabinet a day before constitution day said bhattacharya