Student gets mother’s name added to degree certificate

A law student has succeeded in getting her mother’s name added to her provisional degree certificate after the private university from which she graduated in India originally provided her with a certificate that carried her father’s name alone, reports the Hindustan Times.

The student, Samrita Shankar, who graduated with a BBA LLB (Hons), originally received her provisional certificate on 10 July carrying her father’s name alone as is the common practice. The certificate read, “This is to certify that Samrita Shankar, the ward of Shankar Narasimhan....”. Shankar requested the examinations officer to include the names of both her parents, but she was informed that it would not be possible since the practice until then was to mention the father’s name alone. Shankar then wrote an email to the dean of the university the same day, highlighting the issue.

“In today’s world, mothers are equally working hard and contributing (financially and otherwise) towards their child’s development and education. Therefore, continuing with an anachronistic practice such as only including the father’s name in educational procedures and certificates is not only a step back in achieving gender equality, but also disrespectful to single/unwed/divorced mothers and their children,” she wrote in her letter.
Full report on the Hindustan Times site