MADURAI: A 17-year-old girl and her family have raised concerns after her birth certificate mentioned the wrong gender despite numerous requests for gender correction over the past 17 years.
K Sangudevi, mother of the girl, told TNIE, "I am a daily wage worker from Andarkottaram village near Karuppayurani. My daughter, Sangavi, was born on December 22, 2008, in a private clinic. Since we did not register her birth immediately, we did not take proper steps to obtain a birth certificate at that time. Following pressure from relatives, we applied for it, and two months later, we received the certificate with an incorrect gender.
She added, "We approached the Village Administrative Officer (VAO) of Vandiyur, who explained that records need to be verified and promised appropriate action. Unfortunately, no progress was made. Over time, we enrolled Sangavi in a government school. In 2022, we also submitted a petition to the Madurai East tashildar, who instructed local officials to verify the records. However, the necessary corrections were still not made. Though my daughter has an Aadhaar card with correct details, I am deeply worried about potential complications in the future."
An official from the district administration said, "We will coordinate with the health department over the issue, and a local revenue team, along with the VAO, will inspect the records and visit the family. We will ensure the issue is resolved and corrections are made within a few days."