GUWAHATI

The High Court of Manipur has directed the heads of the State’s education apparatuses to issue fresh academic certificates “under a new name and gender” for a female doctor who was born a male.

Boboi Laishram underwent a gender reassignment surgery in October 2019 and the subsequent legal process to become Beoncy Laishram, a year after completing her MBBS. This made her the first doctor from the trans community in the northeastern region.

Ms. Laishram updated her Aadhaar, voter identity, and Permanent Account Number cards, but struggled to get her name and gender changed in her academic certificates prompting her to approach the high court.

In an order on Tuesday (August 19, 2025), Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma directed the authorities of the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM), the Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur, the Manipur University, and the Manipur Medical Council to issue fresh educational certificates to Ms. Laishram.

The court did not find merit in the argument on behalf of the higher education authorities that any correction in the educational certificates has to start from the first institute, BOSEM, in this case.

The court was told that the Manipur University “has no objection in correcting the name and gender of the petitioner in the MBBS certificate” if the Class 10 and Class 12 certificates are updated first.

The educational heads were accordingly directed to provide Ms. Laishram with fresh certificates mentioning her new name and gender “in place of the original birth name Boboi Laishram and gender as male”.

The authorities have been given a month from the date of receipt of a copy of the order to comply.

“This is a landmark judgment that should go a long way in easing the problems faced by transpeople and changing mindsets,” Ms Laishram told The Hindu.