Soon, Driving Licence Applicants In Delhi Can Put Mother's Name On It

In a progressive step, the Delhi government’s transport department has permitted people applying for a permanent driving licence to have their mother’s name on it instead of their father’s name. This will be effective from next month onwards.

At present, applicants have to provide their father’s or husband’s name while applying for a licence.

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“This is a big step in bringing gender equality at the transport department and we plan to bring in this change by April,” a senior transport department official told TOI

“This would be a big help, specifically for those who for some reason do not want to provide their father’s name or have a single parent,” he said. The software tweaks should be ready this week, the official added.

The modification would prove to be a big change as permanent driving licence is an important identity proof. There are 13 regional transport offices (RTOs) in Delhi. Besides this, 1,600 permanent driving licences are issued in the capital every working day.

The capital would be the first state in the country where licences will be issued with the mother's name.

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Mother's name sufficient for passport

The Delhi High Court had taken a similar progressive step in 2016 when it declared that in certain cases, mother's name is sufficient for a child to apply for a passport, especially because a single woman can be a natural guardian as well as a parent.

These changes reflect that the authorities have finally started doing away with archaic rules by adapting to the changing times.

Mothers seem to be finally getting their due!

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