Syed Akbaruddin, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson
The External Affairs Ministry today refuted reports that an unwed mother is required to state, while applying for a passport, as to how "she conceived the child" and "if she was raped."
According to a media report, a lawyer purportedly appearing for the foreign ministry, in a passport application case in the Bombay High Court had stated that a single parent must file an affidavit explaining how her baby was conceived and why she does not want her father's name to be included on the form.
"I am shocked and appalled if you think that these could be government's views," said Syed Akbaruddin, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson when asked about the report.
"We do not countenance gender bias or insensitivity in handling passport matters," added Mr Akbaruddin, and explained that in matters concerning a child with a single parent, the ministry asks for two documents - birth certificate of the child and an affidavit signed by the mother before a judicial magistrate.
The signed affidavit, Mr Akbaruddin clarified, is a safeguard against kidnapping cases and to ensure that the child belongs to the mother.
In the case of a single mother, the law provides that she can leave the column asking for the father's name blank, he said.