The Maharashtra cabinet has made a major decision to mandate the inclusion of the mother’s name in all government-issued documents, including birth certificates, educational records, property documents, Aadhar and PAN cards, starting from 1 May. This rule, however, exempts orphans.
As reported by the Times of India, this regulation applies to individuals born on or after 1 May 2014. They are required to format their names beginning with their own first name, followed by their mother’s and then their father’s first name and surname.
This new policy aims to ensure the mother’s name is registered across various official documents such as school and examination certificates, pay slips, and revenue documents for those born after the specified date.
The state’s public health department has been directed to coordinate with the central government to explore the feasibility of incorporating the mother’s name in birth and death certificates as well.
For married women, the conventional naming system, which includes the woman’s name followed by her husband’s first name and surname, remains an option.
The women and child development department has expressed that this move is a significant step towards acknowledging mothers’ roles, as traditionally, government documents have predominantly featured the father’s name.
In addition to this directive, the Maharashtra cabinet has passed 18 other proposals, which include the development of a 300-acre park in Mumbai and the construction of a guesthouse in Ayodhya to accommodate state pilgrims.
Furthermore, the cabinet has endorsed a proposal from the housing department to reduce stamp duty for residents of BDD chawls and slums, alongside a strategy to provide permanent housing for families of workers from 58 textile mills previously active in Mumbai. These housing initiatives will be carried out under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, with the state housing department allocating ₹3000 crore for the project.