New Delhi, Feb 4 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2014, which sought mandatory identification of children by their mother’s name in all official documents and affidavits.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh concluded the matter after noting that most states and Union Territories have implemented policy measures to ensure the inclusion of a mother’s name in public records. The court also acknowledged that the petitioner, journalist-turned-spiritual activist Madhav Kant Mishra, had passed away.
“The petitioner raised an issue of paramount importance. As per the reply affidavits filed by most states, they have accepted the concern raised and amended rules to ensure the inclusion of a mother’s name in official documents. That being so, nothing survives in this writ petition,” Justice Kant dictated while passing the order.
The PIL had argued that avoiding a mother’s name in official records was “unfair” and “against the basic law of nature.” It suggested that the entry of the father’s name could be optional, particularly in cases of matrimonial disputes or remarriage, where the insistence on the father’s name could adversely affect a child’s future.
During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner informed the court that Mishra had become a monk and passed away without any legal heirs. Justice Kant commended the late petitioner for raising a crucial social issue. “He did a commendable job. Most states have already made provisions for the insertion of a mother’s name in children’s documents,” the bench observed.
Additional Solicitor General SD Sanjay echoed the sentiment, stating, “What he sought has largely been achieved across most states.”
With this development, the long-pending PIL was formally closed by the Supreme Court.
