Overview
- The February 2 order by Justices Vibha Kankanwadi and Hiten S. Venegavkar sets aside a June 2, 2025 refusal that cited the Secondary School Code.
- The court directed the school to replace the father’s name with the mother’s and to correct the caste entry to Scheduled Caste–Mahar, subject to due certification.
- Judges held that a child raised solely by her mother cannot be compelled to carry the father’s name, surname or caste because of legacy formats.
- The bench stressed that school registers are public records that follow a child through life and must reflect welfare, social reality and constitutional dignity rather than patriarchal defaults.
- Case records show the mother has permanent custody since a 2022 settlement, with the father—accused of sexual assault—having no guardianship role.