Members of sexual minority group at the review meeting of the Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The 2025-2026 baseline survey on gender minorities in Karnataka has recommended 1% reservation in private sector jobs for people from gender minorities in the State.
“It is important that not only the government but also private companies provide employment opportunities to gender minorities,” reads the report that was submitted to the Karnataka government on January 24, 2026.
The Karnataka Government currently provides 1% horizontal reservation for transgender persons in all government services.
The first of its kind exercise in India, conducted by the Department of Women and Child Development and the Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation, has recorded 10,365 gender minority individuals in the State.
Violence and humiliation
One of the recommendations in the report includes the establishment of a gender minority welfare board.
The survey found that some forms of violence and discrimination against gender minorities in around 40% schools and colleges. According to the report, 25% adults and 46% children from the community have requested financial assistance for education.
Around 40% are not accepted by family members. It was also found that 90% of the community members faced instances of violence, discrimination, or humiliation at hospitals.
The report, therefore, recommends financial assistance, enrollment in hostels on priority, coaching for competitive exams and scholarship schemes for the education of individuals from gender minorities, distribution of Ayushman Bharat cards for all community members and schemes for gender affirmation surgery.
Housing, separate toilets, special camps
Noting that 15% of community members live with their parents, 17% in separate houses, and a large number of them on the streets, the report suggests providing housing facilities for them.
Other recommendations include separate toilets and waiting rooms in public places, rehabilitation initiatives, special camps for distribution of ration cards, and awareness programmes for the public, families and officials to prevent violence and discrimination that individuals from gender minorities face.
Top districts
The 45-day long survey of gender minorities across 31 districts identified 10250 individuals above the age of 18 and 115 children. Most number of individuals were recorded in Vijayapura (1,428), Chikkaballapur (1,252), Bengaluru Urban (757), Kolar (638) and Belagavi (618.)
As per the survey information, 3,497 community members belonged to scheduled castes and 1,369 to scheduled tribes.
The 2011 Census had recorded 34,283 gender minorities in the State. Prior to the 2023 election, the Chief Electoral Officer estimated that 42,756 transgender individuals in the State were eligible to vote.
Published – January 25, 2026 11:12 am IST
