Will form committee to look into issues faced by LGBTQIA+ community : Centre to SC

The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that a committee led by the Union Cabinet Secretary would be established to investigate the problems the LGBTQIA+ community is facing.

Tushar Mehta, the Centre’s solicitor general, explained this to a five-judge Constitution Bench. A group of petitions concerning “marriage equality rights for LGBTQIA+ community” are being heard by the five-judge Constitution Bench, which is made up of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice S Ravindra Bhat, Justice Hima Kohli, and Justice PS Narasimha.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta apprised the Supreme Court that a committee headed by the cabinet secretary will be formed to look into the issues faced by the same-sex couple.SG Mehta further submitted that petitioners can submit suggestions so that the committee can apply their minds to it.The bench observed that it appears that the Centre is accepting that people do have a right to co-habit and basis of that there may be certain incidents of that cohabitation like bank accounts and insurance policies.

SG Mehta submitted before the Supreme Court that the government is positive about the concerns raised by the top court for giving some social benefits to same-sex couples. He further said that this would need coordination between more than one ministry.

In the last hearing on April 27, the Supreme Court asked the government to give a response on social benefits that can be given to same-sex couples even without legal recognition of their marital status.CJI DY Chandrachud has suggested that there are ministries dedicated to this purpose like social justice and empowerment such as Ministry for Women and Child Development. The court has asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to see if there can be separate legislation taken which would protect the rights of same-sex couples.