Medical tests administered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for issuing pilot licences recognise transpersons, the government told Parliament.
“The medical tests for issuing pilot license recognises trans persons. A trans person applicant may be issued fit medical assessment, provided there are no associated medical, psychiatric or psychological conditions,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation V.K. Singh told the Rajya Sabha in response to a question from Communist Party of India-Marxist MP, A.A. Rahim.
The Hindu reported on July 3 that the DGCA had declined to grant Adam Harry, who identifies as a trans person, medical approval as long as he was on hormone therapy. He was later given medical clearance in August 2020 after he stopped his hormone therapy. The medical test is needed to be able to undertake training to become a commercial pilot.
Following the news article and rap from the Ministry of Social Justice, the DGCA wrote to Mr. Harry, requesting him to reappear for the medical test, and said in a press statement said there were no restrictions on transgender people from applying for a commercial pilot licence, and that a hormonal replacement therapy was not a disqualifying criterion.
Mr. Rahim told The Hindu that he also met Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia last week and requested him to create an “inclusive policy” for transgender people to enable them to become airline pilots. He also sought that India develops its own guidelines instead of following the United States’ aviation regulator Federal Aviation Administration. He has demanded that instead of using the umbrella term “transgender” to allow applicants to identify their gender, the DGCA should adopt the Government of India’s identity card for transgender persons.
