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In an initiative to empower Indian women, very soon applicants whose mother is a single parent will not be required to enter their father’s name for the allotment of Permanent Account Number (PAN). This move came after a new draft proposed amendments in Rule 114 of the Income-tax Rules.

The Income-tax rule:

According to the Times Of India, previously, providing father’s name in the PAN card application forms No.49A and No.49AA, was mandatory. However, the applicant was given the option to choose the name of either the father or the mother to be printed on the PAN card. The Tax department had received several requests for relaxation in the requirement of father’s name during PAN application. As this was causing difficulty for many applicants with single mothers while filling the application for PAN.

The new Proposal:

According to Economic times in the new draft notification, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) proposes, “To provide father’s name shall not be mandatory in PAN application forms, where the mother is the single parent, an amendment in PAN application forms is proposed to provide that. Mentioning mother’s name shall be mandatory in cases where father’s name is not furnished, and mother is the single parent.”

Menaka Gandhi’s Initiative

According to Financial Express, in July 2018, Maneka Gandhi had written a letter to the Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal requesting the relaxation in the rules for father’s name in PAN card.

Emphasizing on the fact that this move will be helpful for children of divorced single mothers or those adopted by single mothers, Maneka Gandhi said, “It is important to give them the option of not having to mention the names of their ex-husbands on the statuary applications before different government authorities. Besides this, single women are also adopting children, and my ministry is giving priority to such cases. In such cases, there is no father of the child whose PAN number is being requested for.”

Women’s activists thrilled:

Several women’s activists had come forward supporting this change in the rules citing that this rule if implemented by the income tax department, will be a great initiative towards empowering women. Women’s rights activist Mariam Dhawale stood by Mrs.Gandhi’s initiative saying this will resolve many issues faced by single mothers in the Indian society and will help to prevent obstruction by men who generally create hurdles.

Along with the request of relaxation in providing father’s name, the proposal also seeks to authorize the Principal Director General or Director-General Income Tax to specify the manner in which PAN would be issued to an applicant. It also proposes to amend application timelines for the allotment and issuance of PAN card for specific applicants.

This will be a welcome move for children of divorced single mothers or those adopted by single mothers.

Also Read: Maneka Gandhi Requests Sushma Swaraj To Remove Mandatory Father’s Name In Indian Passport

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Editor : The Logical Indian

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