UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Declare intersex persons a distinct class, says plea in SC

Q1. Under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, an application for a certificate of identity as a transgender person is to be made to which one of the following authorities?

  • A. The District Magistrate
  • B. The National Council for Transgender Persons
  • C. The State Human Rights Commission
  • D. The Chief Medical Officer of the district

Q2. The umbrella scheme SMILE and the Garima Greh shelter homes for transgender persons are administered by which one of the following Union ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • C. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • D. Ministry of Women and Child Development

Q3. With reference to the Supreme Court judgment in NALSA v. Union of India (2014), consider the following as directions/holdings of that judgment: 1. Recognition of the right of transgender persons to self-identify as male, female or third gender. 2. Holding that sex reassignment surgery cannot be made a pre-condition for legal recognition of gender identity. 3. Direction that transgender persons be treated as socially and educationally backward classes for the purpose of reservation. 4. Direction to the Centre to enact a separate statute recognising intersex persons as a distinct class within six months. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as forming part of the NALSA judgment?

  1. Recognition of the right of transgender persons to self-identify as male, female or third gender.
  2. Holding that sex reassignment surgery cannot be made a pre-condition for legal recognition of gender identity.
  3. Direction that transgender persons be treated as socially and educationally backward classes for the purpose of reservation.
  4. Direction to the Centre to enact a separate statute recognising intersex persons as a distinct class within six months.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q4. Consider the following statements comparing the NALSA v. Union of India (2014) judgment with the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019: 1. NALSA recognised a 'third gender' and upheld self-identification, while the 2019 Act for the first time statutorily defined 'transgender person' and 'intersex variations'. 2. NALSA preferred the biological test over the psychological test for determining a person's gender. 3. NALSA read 'sex' in Articles 15 and 16 to include gender identity. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. NALSA recognised a 'third gender' and upheld self-identification, while the 2019 Act for the first time statutorily defined 'transgender person' and 'intersex variations'.
  2. NALSA preferred the biological test over the psychological test for determining a person's gender.
  3. NALSA read 'sex' in Articles 15 and 16 to include gender identity.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. In the 2026 PIL seeking recognition of intersex persons as a distinct class, within how many months is the Union government sought to be directed to frame separate statutory guidelines for intersex persons?

  • A. Three months
  • B. Six months
  • C. Twelve months
  • D. Twenty-four months

Q6. Consider the following statements about the 2026 Supreme Court PIL seeking recognition of intersex persons as a distinct class: 1. It seeks separate statutory guidelines for intersex persons within six months. 2. It seeks a pan-India prohibition on medically unnecessary and irreversible surgical or hormonal intervention on intersex infants until they can give informed consent. 3. It seeks to abolish the transgender legal category and merge all gender minorities into a single intersex class. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It seeks separate statutory guidelines for intersex persons within six months.
  2. It seeks a pan-India prohibition on medically unnecessary and irreversible surgical or hormonal intervention on intersex infants until they can give informed consent.
  3. It seeks to abolish the transgender legal category and merge all gender minorities into a single intersex class.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. According to estimates cited by UN experts, up to what proportion of the population is born with intersex traits?

  • A. 0.05 per cent
  • B. 0.5 per cent
  • C. 1.7 per cent
  • D. 4 per cent

Q8. Under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, the term 'intersex variations' is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A person who at birth shows variation in primary sexual characteristics, external genitalia, chromosomes or hormones from the normative male or female standard
  • B. A person whose gender identity does not correspond to the sex assigned to them at birth
  • C. A person who has undergone sex reassignment surgery to change their gender
  • D. A person who identifies with neither the male nor the female gender

Q9. The 2014 Supreme Court judgment that first read gender identity into the equality guarantees of Articles 14, 15 and 21 arose from a petition filed by which one of the following statutory authorities?

  • A. National Human Rights Commission
  • B. National Legal Services Authority
  • C. National Commission for Women
  • D. National Commission for Backward Classes

Q10. Consider the following statements regarding the constitutional protection of transgender persons: 1. In NALSA (2014) the Supreme Court held that rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 are available to transgender persons. 2. NALSA directed welfare measures such as separate HIV sero-surveillance centres and public toilets for transgender persons. 3. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 was struck down by the Supreme Court for violating Article 14. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. In NALSA (2014) the Supreme Court held that rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 are available to transgender persons.
  2. NALSA directed welfare measures such as separate HIV sero-surveillance centres and public toilets for transgender persons.
  3. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 was struck down by the Supreme Court for violating Article 14.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. With reference to the National Council for Transgender Persons and related welfare measures, consider the following: 1. The Union Minister in charge of Social Justice and Empowerment is the ex officio Chairperson of the National Council for Transgender Persons. 2. The Council includes five representatives of the transgender community, one each from the North, South, East, West and North-East regions. 3. Garima Greh shelter homes for transgender persons are administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs. 4. SMILE is an umbrella scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment that includes rehabilitation of transgender persons. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Union Minister in charge of Social Justice and Empowerment is the ex officio Chairperson of the National Council for Transgender Persons.
  2. The Council includes five representatives of the transgender community, one each from the North, South, East, West and North-East regions.
  3. Garima Greh shelter homes for transgender persons are administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  4. SMILE is an umbrella scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment that includes rehabilitation of transgender persons.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4