![Transgenders recognised as third gender; [Download judgment]](http://media.assettype.com/barandbench%2Fimport%2F2014%2F04%2FTransgenders_0.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
In a historic judgment, the Supreme Court today held that transgender persons are to be recognised as a third gender and are entitled to the same Constitutional and legal rights as any other citizen. The Court held that Articles 14, 15, 16, 19 and 21 do not exclude transgender persons from its ambit and take into account rights of “hijras” as well and hence, discrimination against them on the basis of their gender would be a violation of Constitutional mandate.