The name of a surviving spouse would now be mentioned on the death certificates issued by municipal bodies. On recommendation of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Registrar General of India has issued a notification to all States and Union Territories, that it is now obligatory to have the name of the living spouse on death certificate.
Explaining the issue, Union minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said, “I had written to the Registrar General of India regarding the issue and the orders have now been passed.”
The ministry has had several cases reported to them of widows who were suffering due to this anomaly. After the death of their husband these widows would have to run from pillar to post to establish their relationship with the deceased and then move ahead with the process of filing for inheritance, insurance and other claims.
The minister said, “There were several cases reported of women facing a lot of problems after their husband’s death whether it was related to insurance, inheritance or other issues. It is anyway so difficult for the woman who is grieving to go through the modalities of transfer and address other such issues after the death of her husband. This order will definitely make things easier and simpler for them.”
The aim of this endeavour was to empower widows who have to run around to acquire documents as proof of marriage to expedite the inheritance, insurance and other issues, post the death of their husbands. The widows had to do a lot of running around to get paper work done in order to make claims legitimate. The amendment now passed by the Registrar General of India as an order will make the process simpler and easier.