New Delhi: In a significant change in the passport application rules that has raised eyebrows due to the ideological orientation of the ruling BJP, the Modi government has allowed “sadhus/sanyasis” to apply for a passport with the name of their spiritual “guru” (teacher) listed in the application in lieu of the name of parents.
The change was made after sadhus petitioned the government on this, but it will be done only when the sadhus/sanyasis furnish at least one official document (like Aadhaar card, PAN, etc) that shows the guru’s name listed in the “column on the parent’s name”.
The external affairs ministry made a few other changes, including one that will no longer make it mandatory for passport applicants to fill in the names of both parents.
This is expected to provide huge relief to single parents, specially single mothers. The passport application form now will not require the applicant to provide even “the name of her/his spouse in case of separated or divorced persons”.
Also, mandatory submission of the birth certificate as a proof of date of birth has been waived for those whom it was a must till now.
