The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Union government, NCERT, and six state governments on a public interest litigation demanding the urgent inclusion of transgender-inclusive, comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in school curricula.

A bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai, along with Justice K Vinod Chandran, issued notices after senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan argued on behalf of petitioner Kaavya Mukherjee Saha, a Class XII student. The respondents have been asked to file replies within eight weeks.

The petition points out that despite binding directions in the landmark NALSA vs Union of India judgment, as well as statutory obligations under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, the NCERT and most state education councils have failed to incorporate structured lessons on gender identity, gender diversity, and the distinction between sex and gender into examinable textbooks.

Saha’s review of school curricula in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka revealed glaring omissions, with only Kerala partially integrating such content. This, the plea argues, amounts to a denial of equality and undermines constitutional commitments under the Directive Principles of State Policy.

“The exclusion of scientifically accurate, age-appropriate, transgender-inclusive education not only violates fundamental rights but also perpetuates systemic ignorance and stigma,” the petition contends, citing the UNESCO–WHO framework on sexuality education as a global benchmark.

The PIL urges the court to direct authorities to revise NCERT and SCERT textbooks nationwide and to frame binding guidelines mandating gender sensitization and inclusive sexuality education across all schools, public and private.