Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi has demanded doing away with the rules that require mandatory mentioning of father’s name on a child’s caste and academic certificates.

She has requested the government to bring in appropriate changes in the rules meant for issuing of these certificates so that single mothers have an option for not letting their children know about their biological father if they want so.

“We need to be sensitive towards a single mother. She often gets into awkward situations with authorities for routine entitlements. We sorted out the issues relating to passports recently. We also got the mentioning of widows’ name on the death certificate. Now, we are requesting for changes in the caste certificates and educational degrees,” Maneka said in a statement.

The WCD minister has written to Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar, requesting him to consider changing the rules to enable single mothers put their names on the academic certificates of their wards.

“I have been approached by several women who have been separated from their husbands and are having problems in getting degree certificates for their children issued without the name of the father. I see no reason in denying them this facility if they do not want their children to be aware of their biological father after they have grown up,” the minister said.