Madras High Court Orders Nurses Council to Record Transgender Man as Male

A transgender man's request to correct professional nursing records and future communications after gender-affirmation surgery and legal recognition

The petitioner underwent surgery in January 2024, changed his name through the Official Gazette on 27 March 2024, and obtained a District Magistrate's certificate. He sought updated name, gender and photograph entries plus a no-objection certificate for transfer to Karnataka. A verification communication nevertheless described him as a transgender man.

Issue and applicable law

The central question was a transgender man's request to correct professional nursing records and future communications after gender-affirmation surgery and legal recognition.

Relying on K.S. Puttaswamy and Section 7 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, the Court held that every authority must give effect to privacy and legally recognised gender.

Court's reasoning

The Court held that authorities must record him simply as male and must not preserve a note describing his earlier transgender identity. Its principal reason was that self-constructed identity falls within the fundamental right to privacy and Section 7 of the 2019 Act entitles a certificate-holder to corresponding changes in official documents.

Decision and practical effect

The Nurses and Midwives Council was directed to correct the records and use male in every future communication.

The ruling is significant because it clarifies how the stated legal standard should be applied to comparable disputes without extending the decision beyond the facts reported by the source.

Case details

• Case: XXX v. The Tamil Nadu Nurses and Midwives Council and Others
• Court: Madras High Court
• Case number or citation: WP No. 32460 of 2026; 2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 431
• Judges: Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy
• Advocates: For petitioner: Chandini Pradeep Kumar and Mhanasha Devi K.R.; for respondents: Indhu Karunakaran, Special Government Pleader
• Source: https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/madras-high-court/madras-high-court-right-construct-own-identity-right-to-privacy-549052