New single mother passport rules denied by the MEA

New Delhi, Nov 1: While news of revised

regulations for single mothers were attracted the attention of the digital and the print media, not to say criticized, the MEA refuses to accept that any such thing might have happened.

Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin confirmed that there were no changes in the rules and that a single father or a mother had to furnish just two documents-the birth certificate of the child and an affidavit before a magistrate.

[Read the controversial passport regulation for single mothers]

"In all cases, whether it is a mother who is a single parent, or a father who is a single parent, the Ministry of External Affairs only asks for two documents. The document number one is a birth certificate from the registrar of births about the birth of a child. This is normal. Number two is an affidavit which the signal parent swears before a magistrate," he said.

The rumoured regulation stated that an unwed mother must file an affidavit stating how she conceived and whether she was raped or not.

Assuring that the government does not back such discriminations, Akbaruddin said,"We will certainly examine the lawyers' version of this. But if your report is correct, it is absolutely contrary to what the Government of India or the Ministry of External Affairs stands for. We don't stand for gender discrimination. We don't countenance insensitivity in such matters."

OneIndia News