Plea Filed In Supreme Court For Issuance Of OBC Certificates To Children Of Single Mothers Without Certificate From Paternal Side; Notice Issued

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a PIL seeking amendment in the guidelines for grant of OBC certificates to children of single mothers, so that the same can be issued based on OBC certificates of the single mothers, without insistence on certificates from the paternal side. The petitioner, a retired teacher from MCD, claims that as per existing guidelines, caste certificates to children of single mothers from OBC category cannot be granted on the basis of the certificate of the mother and the applicant has to produce OBC certificate from a paternal blood relative - which includes father or grandfather or uncle. Inasmuch as the criteria excludes single mothers from OBC category - divorced women, widows, women who have adopted - from applying for an OBC certificate for their children based on their own certificate, the petitioner asserts, it is discriminatory and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India. In support of the claim of Article 21 violation, it is contended that the denial of OBC certificates on the above basis affects children of single mothers from OBC category socially and financially.