'Recording third gender births impractical'

The Supreme Court on Monday found it impracticable to pass an order registering the births of the third gender children, as the physical features distinguishing them from the male and female develop only at the latter stages.

 A  bench of Justices H L Dattu and S A Bobde expressed their inability to issue any direction on the petition filed by Mahera Vish Rein. “How can we direct to maintain the record relating to third gender? Is it possible? The statute says record of child birth must be maintained. If male child develops attitude (later) which could be termed as third sex, in that circumstance, how can that record be maintained,” the bench asked.

“These are impractical things that you are asking for,” the bench added.