New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Union government, the NCERT, and six state governments on a plea seeking the inclusion of transgender-inclusive sex education in school curriculum.

The petition was filed by Kavya Mukherjee Saha, a Class 12 student at Vasant Valley School in Delhi, who argued that existing NCERT and SCERT textbooks fail to include transgender identities and issues.

Saha urged the court to direct the effective implementation of binding guidelines for gender sensitisation and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) that is inclusive of transgender persons across educational institutions in the country.

A bench of the apex court, after a preliminary hearing, noted the legal and constitutional issues raised and asked the respondents to file their replies.

The petitioner's review of textbooks across states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, "confirms a systemic omission, with the partial exception of Kerala".

"This exclusion violates Articles 14, 15, 19(1)(a), 21, and 21A, and disregards Directive Principles under Articles 39(e)-(f), 46, and 51(e). thereby perpetuating institutional erasure and reinforcing stigma," contended the plea.

It added that the transgender literacy rate in India is only 57.06 per cent, significantly below the national average of around 74 per cent, reflecting the cumulative impact of social exclusion and policy inaction.

"Given that 23 states and Union Territories follow NCERT textbooks wholly or substantially, the absence of transgender-inclusive content has far-reaching implications for constitutional compliance and social justice," stated the plea, filed through advocate Anil Kumar.

The petitioner, Kaavya Mukherjee, urged the apex court to direct the NCERT, the SCERTs, and other relevant authorities to incorporate "scientifically accurate, age-appropriate, and transgender-inclusive CSE into core syllabi and examinable textbooks across school systems, in conformity with constitutional guarantees, legislative mandates, and binding judicial precedent".