(a) whether the Government has any plan to introduce mother name as middle name or surname in birth certificate and all Government documents;
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(c) the steps taken by her Ministry to abolish patriarchy in Government businesses?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)
(a) to (c): Government has not introduced any provision for indicating mother''s name as middle name or surname in birth certificate and all Government documents. It is the choice of citizens to choose any name, middle name or surname for themselves. Further, to abolish patriarchy in Government business, the government has consciously made enabling and engendered provisions related to filing of applications for various Government documents. For instance, the Income Tax Department under the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Ministry of Finance has amended the relevant provisions for the applicants of PAN Card to mention the mother''s name only, if the mother is a single parent or in cases where the applicant wishes to furnish only the mother’s name. Similar provisions have been made for application of passports, where the applicants have the option either to give mother''s name or father’s name, while applying for passports.
Further, under the provisions of the ‘Registration of Births and Death Act (RBD Act), 1969’, the prescribed birth reporting form (Form 1) also includes column of ‘Name of the Mother’ and ‘UID number of mother, if any’, and the birth certificate (Form 5) is issued on the basis of the information furnished in the reporting form.
In addition, University Grants Commission (UGC), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) have issued instructions to all the Universities/ Institutions/ Schools under their control to include mother`s name alongwith that of father`s name in all the Registration/ Admission forms, degrees, certificates etc.
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