UP and Bihar Top Transgender Student Enrolment: India Records Six-Fold Rise
- TPP
- Aug 4
- 3 min read
Transgender student enrolment in Indian schools jumps from 155 to 965 in just three years, with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar leading the surge in inclusion.
In a significant development indicating gradual but important progress toward educational inclusion, the Ministry of Education recently released data highlighting a six-fold increase in transgender student enrolment in schools across India between 2021–22 and 2023–24. This data, tabled in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question raised by MP Swati Maliwal, marks a positive shift in visibility and access to education for gender-diverse communities.
Who is a Transgender Person?
As per the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, a transgender person is someone whose gender identity does not match the gender assigned at birth. This includes people who identify as transgender men or women, genderqueer individuals, and those with intersex variations.
Population in India: Approximately 4.8 lakh (Census 2011)
In Tamil Nadu: Around 22,364 transgender persons
Legal Recognition: The NALSA Judgment (2014) by the Supreme Court recognized transgender individuals as the “third gender” and affirmed their fundamental rights under the Constitution of India.
How Much Has Transgender Student Enrolment Increased in Schools?
According to official figures, the number of transgender students enrolled in schools rose from just 155 in 2021–22 to 965 in 2023–24, showing more than a six-fold increase in just three academic years.
Leading this growth are states like Uttar Pradesh (327 students) and Bihar (282 students) in the 2023–24 academic year. These two states account for over 60% of the national total, reflecting both policy-level outreach and growing social acceptance in the education system.
However, the data also reveals regional disparities. For example, Rajasthan, which had reported 107 transgender students in schools in 2021–22, saw a steady decline to 77 in 2023–24. A sharper fall is observed in West Bengal, with enrolment numbers plummeting from 211 in 2022–23 to just 62 in 2023–24.
Must Read | Tamil Nadu Transgender Policy 2025
State-wise number of transgender students in schools
State/UT | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 |
Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Andhra Pradesh | 0 | 132 | 31 |
Arunachal Pradesh | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Assam | 4 | 2 | 3 |
Bihar | 4 | 47 | 282 |
Chandigarh | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Chhattisgarh | 3 | 6 | 13 |
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Delhi | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goa | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Gujarat | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Haryana | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Himachal Pradesh | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Jammu & Kashmir | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Jharkhand | 2 | 11 | 27 |
Karnataka | 0 | 2 | 39 |
Kerala | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Ladakh | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lakshadweep | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Madhya Pradesh | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Maharashtra | 3 | 32 | 12 |
Manipur | 0 | 2 | 8 |
Meghalaya | 0 | 26 | 23 |
Mizoram | 0 | 22 | 0 |
Nagaland | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Odisha | 6 | 43 | 22 |
Puducherry | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Punjab | 4 | 4 | 15 |
Rajasthan | 107 | 88 | 77 |
Sikkim | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tamil Nadu | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Telangana | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tripura | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Uttar Pradesh | 16 | 239 | 327 |
Uttarakhand | 3 | 2 | 1 |
West Bengal | 0 | 211 | 62 |
All India | 155 | 880 | 965 |
What About Transgender Students in Higher Education?
The progress is not limited to school education alone. Data from the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) reveals a substantial rise in the number of transgender students enrolled in colleges and universities.
In 2020–21, there were 302 transgender students in higher education.
This figure rose to 877 in 2021–22, and then to 1,448 in 2022–23 (provisional data).
The surge signals increased acceptance, outreach, and awareness, but also points to the impact of institutional and policy-level reforms.
State-wise number of transgender students enrolled in universities and Colleges (as per AISHE)
State/UT | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 (Provisional) |
Andhra Pradesh | 28 | 45 | 69 |
Assam | 4 | 18 | 15 |
Bihar | 2 | - | 8 |
Chandigarh | - | 4 | 4 |
Chhattisgarh | 3 | 2 | 9 |
Delhi | 6 | 28 | 15 |
Goa | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Gujarat | 7 | 23 | 62 |
Haryana | 3 | 10 | 11 |
Himachal Pradesh | 2 | 8 | 19 |
Jammu and Kashmir | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Jharkhand | 13 | 19 | 16 |
Karnataka | 20 | 69 | 73 |
Kerala | 32 | 55 | 54 |
Madhya Pradesh | 9 | 76 | 124 |
Maharashtra | 16 | 118 | 158 |
Manipur | 5 | 2 | 14 |
Meghalaya | - | 1 | 11 |
Nagaland | - | - | 2 |
Odisha | 4 | 24 | 55 |
Puducherry | 1 | 7 | 3 |
Punjab | 6 | 36 | 21 |
Rajasthan | 26 | 34 | 101 |
Tamil Nadu | 35 | 56 | 98 |
Telangana | 15 | 24 | 104 |
Tripura | - | 3 | 1 |
Uttar Pradesh | 30 | 172 | 369 |
Uttarakhand | 5 | 8 | 10 |
West Bengal | 25 | 31 | 17 |
Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | - | - |
Total | 302 | 877 | 1448 |
The data underscores the need for sustained policy interventions, institutional support, and awareness initiatives to ensure that transgender students are not only enrolled but also retained within the educational system.
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