Upon returning to India, the individual can then secure the necessary documents to apply for a passport re-issue reflecting their updated gender. The MEA assured the court that amendments would be made to the passport manual to incorporate these new guidelines, ensuring a more straightforward process for transgender persons. The Court recorded the government’s assurances and directed the necessary updates to the manual. The case that prompted this development involved a transgender woman who had undergone gender affirmation surgery in the United States. Despite legally changing her name and gender in the U.S. and updating her identification documents, she faced significant delays in renewing her passport, which led her to seek legal intervention. Her plea highlighted the undue hardship caused by the delay.
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