HC asks Govt to issue direction to include guardian column

New Delhi, Dec 19 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today directed the Union Government to issue direction to all the Universities and state governments to incorporate the guardian column alongside the columns for parents' name in the forms, supplied to the students to appear at the examinations for the benefit of the orphans.

A division bench of Chief Justice M K Sharma and Justice Hima Kohli asked the Ministry of Human Resource Development(HRD) to direct the Universities and the state governments to inlclude the column in the University and State School Board examination forms.

Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE) Chairman Ashok Ganguly, who was present in the court, submitted a sample form before the court having a separate column for the guardians.

The ICSE and National Open School also submitted that they would change the format of the form and include the column from the next examination session.

Udayan Care, an orphanage, had filed a PIL petition seeking direction to the authorities to include the column of guardian in the forms for the orphans, who did not know about their parentage.

The High Court had earlier served notice to National Institute of Open Schooling, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination(CISCE), Union Human Resource Development Ministry and Delhi Government.

The Udayan Care had about 97 children, whose parentage was unknown, studying in various schools inlcuding Sanskriti School, DPS School etc, said Counsel Arvind Sharma who apppeared for the petitioner.

Most of the children, who were adopted by the Udayan Care, are in a piquent situation while filing up the Board examination forms.

While citing the case of a girl child, the petitioner said she mentioned Kiran Modi, the 'Mentor Mother' as her mother and her husband Subodh Modi as father while filing up a form.

''This kind of precarious situation raises serious legal implications for the child as well as mentor mother as secondary school passing certifiacste is a vital document which is accepted throughout the country for identity,'' said the petition.

The situation has led to a piculiar circumstances for the voluntary agencies or non-governmental organisations(NGO) who bring up orphans by adopting them for better living and education, said Mr Gupta.

Udayan Care is an orphanage set up by Dr Kiran Modi, former Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan, Shiv Kumar Sareen and other eminent personalities.

UNI PAT SP GC2006