Since 2 October 2026, transgender persons in Tamil Nadu can travel free not only on ordinary town buses but also on Express, Limited Stop, Deluxe and mofussil services run by the seven State Transport Corporations. The change was launched at Koyambedu by the state government, Telangana Today reported, and it extends the women’s free travel scheme first announced in the Assembly on 24 August.
Most other benefits run through the Tamil Nadu Transgender Welfare Board, which the state set up on 15 April 2008, the first such board in India. To use them, you first need a board identity card. This guide covers how to get one, the national certificate under the 2019 Act, and the main schemes.
Two identity documents, and why both help
The state board card. The board issues identity cards that open up state schemes. Registration is done through the Thirunangai mobile app, which, according to the Social Welfare department’s board page, collects details such as age, education and residence and lets applicants obtain the card easily. A May 2025 state statement, carried by PTI, said 10,153 people had received cards since the app was launched in 2021.
The national certificate and ID. Under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, you can also apply on the National Portal for Transgender Persons. The portal says district authorities must issue the certificate and ID card within 30 days of receiving an application, and shows 23,196 certificates issued across 35 states and union territories. This card is needed for central schemes such as SMILE and for the Garima Greh shelter homes listed on the portal.
In Chennai, scheme applications go through the district Social Welfare office, which works under the same department as the board. Keep a copy of whichever identity card you already hold when you apply.
Main state schemes and what they pay
The board’s list of services includes ration cards, house pattas, residential homes, free sewing machines, help with higher education, self-help groups, free skill training and free travel on city buses. The figures below come from the department’s 2024-25 performance budget and the May 2025 government statement.
| Scheme | Benefit | Latest figure |
|---|---|---|
| Pension for destitute transgender persons aged 40+ | ₹1,500 a month (raised from ₹1,000 on 1 March 2023) | 1,482 beneficiaries, 2023-24 |
| Self-employment grant | Up to ₹50,000, based on the business | 811 people helped since 2021 (May 2025) |
| Higher education support | Full tuition and hostel costs from 2024-25 | ₹2 crore allocated, 2024-25 |
| Special award | ₹1 lakh and a certificate on 15 April | One award a year |
The same statement said ₹3 crore had been set aside for about 1,760 pensioners in 2025-26. Self-help groups run by transgender women have used board grants for provision shops, canteens, soap and napkin units, autos and cloth businesses.
The 2025 state policy
On 31 July 2025 the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department released the Tamil Nadu State Policy for Transgender Persons 2025. As summarised by The News Minute, it promises gender-neutral toilets and hostels in education, free gender-affirming surgery and hormone therapy in government hospitals, short-stay homes, self-identification without medical certification, and grievance officers in institutions, with oversight committees at state and district level.
Activists criticised the policy for leaving out a 1% horizontal reservation in jobs and education, for weak implementation detail, and for largely missing trans men and intersex persons. An official told the publication the reservation question was still under discussion, and the Madras High Court asked the state to take a clear position. We could not find a later decision on reservation, so treat it as unresolved.
Practical steps in Chennai
- Register on the Thirunangai app for the board card, and apply on the national portal for the central certificate.
- Once you have the board card, ask about the ration card, house patta and medical insurance card the board helps with.
- For a pension or self-employment grant, contact the district Social Welfare office with your card and bank details.
- For free bus travel, check with the transport corporation which identity proof conductors accept.
If an office refuses to process an application, ask for the refusal in writing. Free legal aid is available through the District Legal Services Authority, and a lawyer can advise on specific disputes.
Quick answers
Do transgender persons travel free on Tamil Nadu government buses?
Yes. From 2 October 2026 free travel covers ordinary city buses and also Express, LSS, Deluxe and mofussil services of the State Transport Corporations.
How much is the transgender pension in Tamil Nadu?
₹1,500 a month for destitute transgender persons aged 40 and above, paid through the welfare board.
How long does the national transgender certificate take?
The national portal says district authorities must issue it within 30 days of receiving the application.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Tamil Nadu Transgender Welfare Board (Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department, Tamil Nadu)
- Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department Performance Budget 2024-25 (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- National Portal for Transgender Persons (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment)
- Special schemes being implemented for welfare of transgender people: TN govt (PTI via The Week, 25 May 2025)
- Vague, unambitious, exclusionary: trans rights groups critique TN transgender policy (The News Minute, August 2025)
- Tamil Nadu CM expands free bus travel scheme for women, transgender persons (Telangana Today, 2 October 2026)
