In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of India allowed a transgender people to identify as a third gender and directed the central and state governments to give full legal recognition to them. The decision comes four months later after the same Court has restored the criminalization of homosexuality by nullifying a Superior Court 2009 decision that had considered unconstitutional article 377 of Indian Penal Code inherited from the colony, which criminalized males same sex relations.
Read more about the 3rd gender’s recognition on New York Times and on The Times of India.