The Maharashtra government on Monday mandated including the mother's name on all government documents issued in the state, effective May 1, 2024, as reported by ANI.
This decision applies to birth certificates, school documents, property papers, Aadhar cards, and PAN cards.
The move comes after a similar ruling by the Delhi High Court earlier on Monday. The court held that educational certificates, degrees, and other documents must reflect both parents' names, not just the father's.
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"There is no reasonable justification for only mentioning the father's name alone in any certificate relating to education," Justice C Hari Shankar said. "It would be clearly retrogressive to exclude the mother's name."
In 2018, the income tax department clarified that quoting the father's name in PAN application forms would not be mandatory in cases where the applicant's mother is a single parent. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) then amended the rules, providing an option to the applicant regarding whether the mother is a single parent and if the applicant wishes to furnish only the mother's name.
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