RBI directs banks to include 'third gender' in forms

Chennai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday directed banks to include 'third gender' in all forms and applications enabling transgenders to avail banking services.

Citing the Supreme Court judgment in the National Legal Services Authority vs Union of India, the central bank said all transgender people were to be treated as 'third gender'.

"The Supreme Court, in that case, upheld transgender persons' right to decide their self-identified gender and directed the centre and state governments to grant legal recognition of their gender identity such as male, female or as third gender," the RBI said.