The Supreme Court on Friday sought the Centre's response on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the guidelines in the Blood Donor Selection and Blood Donor Referral, 2017, which prohibit transgender persons, gay men and female sex workers from donating blood, as they are considered a high-risk category as being HIV/AIDS infected.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian said "it does not understand such medical matters". The plea was filed by Thangjam Santa Singh, a resident of Manipur, through advocate Anindita Pujari.