Two female UP cops requesting gender change raises questions on male constable criteria

Two female constables assigned to the departments of Gorakhpur and Gonda have formally asked permission from the department’s headquarters to undergo gender reassignment surgery, which has left high-ranking police officials in Uttar Pradesh perplexed.

Officials claim that there are certain physical specifications for male and female members of the force, including height, stamina, and shoulder strength. How these constables can be permitted to change their gender identification after being hired as female cops is a serious difficulty.

Officials from the Uttar Pradesh Police are in an odd predicament since two female constables assigned to the cities of Gorakhpur and Gonda have asked the headquarters for approval to undergo surgery to alter their gender. This may be the first request of this nature that the Uttar Pradesh Police has received.

Can they be allowed to alter their gender after being hired as female police officers?

They must figure up a way to allow the Constables to alter their gender after being hired as female police officers. An Uttar Pradesh Police officer with the Additional Director General (ADG) level stated that the two Constables had submitted applications for permission to alter their gender, each with a different justification.

Further physical requirements for male constables to match:

“How additional physical requirements for male constables would be matched if they are judged to be male constables after surgery is the biggest issue with allowing them to undergo sex change. For the male and female categories, there are distinct physical requirements, such as height, running ability, and shoulder strength, the ADG further explained.

According to the official, the Uttar Pradesh Police scrupulously adhered to the gender-specific recruiting criterion, and it would be against the rules for women employees to change their gender after being hired under the female criteria.

He continued by saying that the identical response had been provided by the headquarters to the Allahabad High Court when one of the two female constables approached the court to request permission for a gender change despite having pursued her case since January of this year.

The court once more requested that the headquarters reevaluate the lady constable’s request.

Another senior police official from the Uttar Pradesh Police headquarters stated that the court had once more requested that the headquarters reevaluate the lady constable’s plea based on merit and further develop some standards for situations that may resemble hers in the future.

He continued by saying that the Lucknow-based King George’s Medical University (KGMU) had previously received a letter from the police authorities requesting that both constables undergo medical examinations through a medical board and provide a report.

“The court will take up this matter again in the first week of December”, he continued, adding that “we are seeking opinion from all stake-holders related to women and gender issues, aside from medical and legal opinion, before coming to a final conclusion.”

A similar case was also seen in Madhya Pradesh. It should be noted that a female police officer has already been permitted to undergo sex reassignment surgery. A female police officer from the Niwari district was previously granted permission to alter her sex in December 2021 after submitting an application in 2019.

The officials had stated at the time that an Indian citizen had the legal right to select his or her sex without regard to caste or religion. On the basis of this assumption, the state home department has given the police department’s headquarters authorization to permit the constable to alter her sex as she pleases.

The Madhya Pradesh government has made a welcome decision by allowing a woman constable of the Ratlam district to undergo sex reassignment surgery. The order was released by the home department on Monday, bringing great relief to the officer who has struggled with gender identity disorder since childhood. However, this permission has come with a stipulation: the constable will be required to forgo all the benefits provided to female officers only after undergoing gender change.

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