After ‘manifesto moment’, budgetary disappointment Premium

The lack of budgetary allocation is a systematic denial of the rights of LGBTQ+ Indians, blocking their access to an equal share over the country’s resources

Following a “manifesto moment” in the lead-up to the 2024 general election where several major political parties pledged support for the LGBTQ+ community, the 2024 Union Budget has dashed the hopes of queer Indians yearning for recognition in national politics.

A transformative overhaul of the government’s approach towards LGBTQ+ rights was never expected — especially given the Solicitor General’s vehement opposition to marriage equality before the Supreme Court of India last year. Yet, the mention of transgender rights in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s own manifesto had sparked a glimmer of hope for progress under a Modi 3.0 government.

Instead, the LGBTQ+ community found itself reduced to a mere footnote in the Budget: the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s allocation for “Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons” under the Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) programme. This programme promises to fund Garima Grahas (shelter homes), scholarships, and the National Council for Transgender Persons.

On paper, the budgetary outlay for transgender welfare increased from ₹52.91 crore in FY24 to ₹68.46 crore in FY25. But a closer look reveals a harsh reality: actual expenditure was a meagre ₹22.82 crore in FY24. Nowhere is the impact of this discrepancy more starkly reflected than in the fact that most Garima Grahas have shut down over the past two years due to lack of funding, and the NCTP is barely functional.

With just a meagre increase for this financial year, who will fulfil the guarantee to build Garima Grahas, promised in the ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas’ section of the BJP’s 2024 Sankalp Patra?

SMILE is not the only victim of the government’s apathy. Even more troubling is the reduction in funding for the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) from ₹3,079.97 crore in FY24 to ₹2,892.00 crore in FY25.

NACO, tasked with both combating HIV/AIDS and preventing Sexually transmitted infections, plays a crucial role in public health. Despite decades of progress, India still faces one of the largest HIV epidemics in the world, with LGBTQ+ Indians at a higher risk of contracting the virus and facing distinct psychosocial challenges.