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Single mothers irked by dad's name tab in PICME form
“I earn an above average salary and I am well-equipped to raise my child on my own. So why am I required to fill in a ‘father’s name’, and worse, judged when I call out the outdated document,” said Kavitha (name changed), who asked many people how to go about filling the document and proceeded to submit the document, via a source on Twitter.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
The website of the National Health Mission indeed directs one to write ‘father of baby name’ in the space of father’s name or when the name of the father is not available it asks for ‘caretaker of baby name’, but cites orphans as examples in the instance, without bringing single mothers into the equation, explained Kavita.
State Neonatal Intensive Care Unit coordinator Dr S Srinivasan said, “The form is just a procedure to get all the details of the baby. Single expectant mothers can leave the space blank.”
A judgement from the Madras High Court in July 2018, said, as long as the single mother submits an affidavit that the child is hers, she can leave the field under father’s name blank, when filling out the birth certificate form. However, it does not specify the same for the RCH ID document.
An official from the Department of Public Health (DPH) said, “The field under the father’s name is just a step in the procedure to be filled out, it caters to the vast majority of conventional relationships right now.”
The PICME registration and acquisition of the 12-digit RCH ID will aid the DPH in preventing irregularities in the system. Expectant mothers who register and acquire the ID will benefit from the Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Assistance Scheme that offers up to Rs 12,000.
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