TNI Bureau: The state government has reconstituted the Transgender Welfare Board, aiming to strengthen institutional support and policy coordination for the transgender community.

As per the new structure, the Chief Secretary will serve as the Chairperson, while the Secretary of the Department of Social Empowerment and Persons with Disabilities will act as the Vice-Chairperson. The Director of the department has been designated as the Member Secretary. The Director General of Police and the Additional Secretary of the department will also be members of the board.

Representatives from key departments, including Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Housing and Urban Development, Skill Development and Technical Education, Higher Education, and School and Mass Education, have been included as members to ensure a multi-sectoral approach.

Notably, Dr. Deepti Mahapatra, the state’s first transgender person to earn a doctorate, and transgender rights activist Soumya Das have been inducted as members. Additionally, one representative each from the Bhubaneswar-based Transgender Protection Trust and the Chetana organization in Balugaon will be part of the board. District Collectors of Balangir, Anugul, and Khordha will serve as members on a rotational basis.

It is worth noting that the board was previously constituted on May 15, 2025, with a three-year tenure under the chairmanship of the departmental minister. However, it has now been restructured within a year.