Andhra Pradesh weighs making father’s name optional in official documents

Officials of various government departments, child rights organisations, the AP Mahila Commission and NGOs on Tuesday discussed the proposal to make a father’s name optional in all official documents.

The Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR), in association with NGOs Children India Foundation (CIF) and HELP, organised a State-level consultation on ‘Making Father’s Name Not Mandatory in Documents’ here.

APSCPCR Chairman Vetukuri A.V.S.S.N. Raju said the Commission welcomed the views of experts from various sectors on making a father’s name optional, particularly for children of sex workers, divorced couples and orphans, as well as those who did not wish to mention their fathers’ names in applications.

A.P. Mahila Commission Chairperson Rayapati Sailaja said children should not be forced to discontinue their education or be denied employment opportunities because of certain rules.

Representatives of the Education, Women Development and Child Welfare, Medical and Health, Judiciary and other departments said the government should examine the possible legal implications of the proposal and frame rules in the best interests of children.

Additional Director (Social Welfare) K. Sunil Raj Kumar and Joint Director (Women Development and Child Welfare) Vasanta Bala said their departments were not insisting on the father’s name in application forms. An official pointed out that in some cases, the requirement had become an obstacle to children’s education.

APSCPCR members P. Naga Manasa, Padmalatha, Challa Madhusudhan Rao and V. Gandhi Babu said the recommendations emerging from the consultation would be submitted to the government to ensure justice for children in need.

Joint Director (Education) V.S. Subba Rao, CIF Executive Director Hemanth Kumar, HELP Director N.V.S. Rammohan, District Legal Services Authority Secretary M.K. Vijaya Lakshmi and APSCPCR Secretary G. Uma Devi were among those who attended.