UGC to work on plan to make father's name optional on degrees

New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) will soon work on a proposal to make father’s name on degrees optional after the HRD Ministry in-principle agreed to the suggestion made by Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi.

“We are okay with the idea. Whether the student wants to mention mother’s name or father’s name should be his or her choice,” Prakash Javadekar told PTI in an interview. “We like the concept and have no objection to it. The UGC will work on it soon,” he added.

Following concerns raised by single mothers, Gandhi had last month written to Javadekar, urging him to change the rule that requires father’s name to be mandatory mentioned on a student’s degree certificate. “I have been approached by several women who are separated from their husbands and who face problems getting degree certificates issued for their children without their father’s name,” Gandhi had said in her letter.

She explained further that breakdown of marriages and separation between husband and wife is now a reality and rules must reflect this.

“Keeping in view the sensitivity of the single/separated mother, we need to make a provision for this purpose by changing rules/guidelines,” the letter added.

Last year, at the behest of Maneka, the Ministry of External Affairs had revised its passport application rules and announced that the name of only one parent, and not both, was enough, enabling single parents to apply for passports for their children.