Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], October 7 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) Member Undavalli Gandhibabu has called for a national-level policy and administrative mechanism to ensure that children are not denied education, identity documents, welfare benefits or other essential services merely because their father’s name is unavailable or cannot be disclosed, according to the press release by APSCPCR.
Speaking at a national-level meeting held at the Capitol Hotel, Bengaluru, jointly organised by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority and Children of India Foundation, Gandhibabu highlighted the difficulties faced by children who encounter questions regarding their father’s identity while obtaining birth certificates, school records, identity documents and government services.
He said the issue should be addressed primarily from the perspective of children’s rights, dignity and privacy, rather than through conventional notions of family identity. Children should not be made to bear the consequences of circumstances surrounding their birth, particularly when the identity of the father is unknown, unavailable or cannot be disclosed.
Gandhibabu pointed out that children born to women engaged in prostitution, young women who become pregnant before marriage and mothers facing exceptional social circumstances can encounter such difficulties. Repeatedly asking a child, “Who is your father?”, can result in stigma, humiliation and discrimination at a crucial stage of the child’s education and development.
Referring to constitutional principles, judicial pronouncements and the Right to Education Act, he said administrative procedures should never become a barrier to a child’s fundamental rights. He also cautioned that entering a fictitious or incorrect father’s name merely to complete official documentation could create further identity-related complications and discrimination in the future.
He called for a clear, uniform and child-sensitive procedure across government departments, educational institutions and service-delivery systems, enabling children to obtain necessary documents and services without being compelled to provide inaccurate information about their parentage, the release stated.
Sharing his field experience, Gandhi Babu referred to cases involving tribal women in the erstwhile Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh. He said that in several instances, men who had entered tribal areas for business purposes established relationships with tribal women, married some of them and subsequently disappeared. As a result, approximately 270 young women became pregnant, and their children later faced difficulties because of the absence or uncertainty of their fathers’ identities.
He said that, after witnessing the difficulties faced by these women and children, he provided legal support through the Agriculture and Social Development NGO. These experiences, he said, demonstrate the need for a systemic solution rather than case-by-case intervention.
Gandhibabu urged governments and institutions to develop procedures that protect the dignity, confidentiality and rights of children, while ensuring uninterrupted access to education, identity documents, welfare schemes and other entitlements.
“The future of a child cannot be allowed to depend upon whether the child can provide the name of a father. Children should not be made to carry the social consequences of circumstances surrounding their birth,” Gandhibabu said, calling for a child-centred mechanism that ensures equal access to rights and opportunities.
He said he would continue to advocate for the removal of structural and administrative barriers affecting children and work towards a system in which no child is discriminated against because of the circumstances of birth or the absence of a father’s name. (ANI)
APSCPCR member Undavalli Gandhibabu calls for policy to ensure children without fathers’ names aren’t denied services
