The Delhi High Court has ruled that, in certain cases, using the mother’s name is sufficient for a child to apply for a passport.

A very good development towards a better future.

According to a report in the Times of India, earlier this week, Justice Manmohan of the Delhi High Court directed the Regional Passport Office (RPO) to accept the passport application of the child of a single parent without insisting upon her father’s name. The court said that the authorities “can insist upon the name of the biological father in the passport only if it is a requirement in law, like standing instructions, manuals, etc. In the absence of any provision making it mandatory to mention the name of one’s biological father in the passport, the respondents cannot insist upon the same.”

Justice Manmohan also said, “This court also takes judicial notice of the fact that families of single parents are on the increase due to various reasons – like unwed mothers, sex workers, surrogate mothers, rape survivors, children abandoned by father, and also children born through IVF technology.”

We gotta say, “Deer aaye par durust aaye” 😉