📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Shiraz Husain
Local
Rajasthan HC rules father's name not mandatory on passport of child of divorced parents
✍️ Amar Ujala · Rajasthan
🗓 28 Sep 2026, 08:45 PM
👁 10
The Rajasthan High Court held that a child's passport need not list the father's name when parents are divorced, subject to the specific circumstances of each case.
The Rajasthan High Court delivered a landmark judgment concerning passport issuance for children of divorced parents. The bench clarified that the father's name does not have to be mentioned on a minor's passport if the court deems the circumstances warrant it.
The order stems from a petition filed by a mother seeking a passport for her child without the father's details, arguing that the father was not involved in the child's upbringing. The court examined the legal provisions governing passport applications and the rights of custodial parents.
By emphasizing a case‑by‑case approach, the judgment aims to balance the child's right to travel with the realities of post‑divorce parental responsibilities. Legal experts note that the decision could set a precedent for similar applications across other Indian states.
The ruling does not overturn existing passport rules but provides flexibility, allowing courts to exempt the father's name when justified. Affected families are advised to approach the appropriate district court for specific guidance.
The decision was reported by local media and is expected to influence future passport applications involving divorced parents in Rajasthan and potentially beyond.
The order stems from a petition filed by a mother seeking a passport for her child without the father's details, arguing that the father was not involved in the child's upbringing. The court examined the legal provisions governing passport applications and the rights of custodial parents.
By emphasizing a case‑by‑case approach, the judgment aims to balance the child's right to travel with the realities of post‑divorce parental responsibilities. Legal experts note that the decision could set a precedent for similar applications across other Indian states.
The ruling does not overturn existing passport rules but provides flexibility, allowing courts to exempt the father's name when justified. Affected families are advised to approach the appropriate district court for specific guidance.
The decision was reported by local media and is expected to influence future passport applications involving divorced parents in Rajasthan and potentially beyond.