No Child Denied Rights Due to Missing Father's Name: Undavalli Gandhibabu
APSCPCR member Undavalli Gandhibabu calls for a national policy to ensure children aren't denied education or identity documents due to missing father's names.
Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) member Undavalli Gandhibabu has issued a powerful call for a national-level policy to protect children from being marginalized by administrative hurdles. He argued that no child should be denied essential services—including education, identity documents, or welfare benefits—simply because their father’s name is unavailable or cannot be disclosed.
Speaking at a national-level meeting in Bengaluru, organized by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority and the Children of India Foundation, Gandhibabu emphasized that the current system often fails to account for the diverse and sometimes difficult circumstances surrounding a child's birth.
The Stigma of Identity
Gandhibabu highlighted a recurring and painful issue: children frequently encounter invasive questioning regarding their father's identity when attempting to obtain birth certificates, school records, or government IDs. He noted that repeatedly asking a child, “Who is your father?” can lead to profound stigma, humiliation, and discrimination during critical stages of their development.
The APSCPCR member argued that these administrative processes must be viewed through the lens of child rights, dignity, and privacy rather than traditional notions of family structure. He pointed out several vulnerable groups who face these challenges, including:
- Children born to women engaged in sex work.
- Young women who become pregnant before marriage.
- Mothers facing exceptional or sensitive social circumstances.
He warned that forcing parents or children to enter fictitious or incorrect names just to satisfy bureaucratic requirements could lead to even greater identity complications and discrimination in the future.
Lessons from the Field: The Tribal Community Crisis
Drawing from his own field experiences, Gandhibabu shared a sobering account involving tribal women in the erstwhile Khammam district. He recounted instances where men entered tribal areas for business, established relationships or marriages with local women, and subsequently disappeared.
This left approximately 270 young women pregnant and facing a future where their children struggled to secure basic rights due to the absence or uncertainty of the fathers' identities. Gandhibabu, who provided legal support to these families through the Agriculture and Social Development NGO, stressed that such heartbreaking scenarios require a systemic, national solution rather than piecemeal, case-by-case interventions.
A Call for Uniform, Child-Sensitive Procedures
Invoking constitutional principles and the Right to Education Act, Gandhibabu insisted that administrative procedures must never act as a barrier to fundamental rights. He urged the government to implement a clear, uniform, and sensitive mechanism across all departments, including educational institutions and service-delivery systems.
"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 stated.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to advocating for the removal of these structural barriers, aiming for a system where no child is discriminated against because of the circumstances of their birth or the absence of a paternal name.