Survey study uncovers low certification uptake and awareness under the SMILE scheme in transgender individuals, highlighting critical barriers to welfare and healthcare access.
Transgender individuals are one of the most marginalised gender groups in India. Even after getting citizenship rights, many of them do not have proper documents and certificates. Therefore, this study seeks to explore the obstacles that have hindered transgender individuals from availing the required certificates. The Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) portal is used to comprehend the beneficiaries of transgender certificates and identity documents. To assess the status and implementation of the scheme, primary data were collected through a field survey and focus group discussions (FGDs). The study sample comprised 121 individuals identifying as transgender, selected from Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh. The findings suggest that a small number of transgender individuals have obtained the certificate but are not accessing the associated benefits, even though their population size is the highest in Uttar Pradesh. The FGDs provide various insights, including low awareness about the portal and poor acceptability of the schemes among transgender individuals. This is because of a lack of promotion and inefficient funding allocation for the composite health programme. Promoting and educating transgender individuals about the SMILE scheme, as well as providing necessary information through advertisements, is crucial. Additionally, allocating funds for the composite health programme can enhance its acceptance among transgender individuals.
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Dubey et al. (2026) studied this question.
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