NEW DELHI: Single mothers either abandoned by their husbands or their husbands married another women or their husbands divorced them or the husbands have died, can now get certificates for their children in their (single mothers’) names.
In a landmark move, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia handed over the first such caste certificate based on the mother’s credentials to a single mother on Tuesday. This happened after an eight-year struggle and intervention of Karol Bagh MLA Vishesh Ravi.
Previously, SC/ST caste certificates were issued only based on the fathers’ caste certificates or paternal side certificates. Due to this procedure, many single mothers could not get SC/ST caste certificates for their children.
Many times, the women faced harassment from their ex-husband/in-laws while trying to issue caste certificates for their children. Many children of single SC/ST mothers could not get caste certificates despite being brought up in an unprivileged environment, and also deprived reservations and scholarships.
Geeta Devi is one such single mother who had been struggling to get an SC caste certificate for her child for the past eight years. Her application was rejected multiple times on the grounds that the father’s caste certificate was not there.
MLA Ravi had taken up this matter with the Revenue Department, Social Welfare Department and Department for the Welfare of SC/ST of Delhi. He had written a series of letters to the Revenue Department officials and had multiple meetings with officials.
He had also raised this issue in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, highlighting the sufferings of single SC/ST mothers. Due to his persistent intervention, Geeta Devi’s child has received an SC caste certificate based on her caste certificate.
The circular to amend the procedure for issuance of SC/ST caste certificate based on single mother’s caste certificate was issued on July 20, 2020, with the prior approval of the revenue minister of the Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT) Delhi.