Include wife’s name in husband’s death certificate: WCD

Union Women and Child Development Ministry has raised concern about non-inclusion of wife’s name in husband’s death certificate’s and has asked Registrar General to issue strict directions to the state governments on the matter.

In a meeting with Registrar General recently, Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi asked him to pull up the states for not implementing the order.

The Registrar General had issued a circular in 2013 asking all states to mention wife’s name on the husband’s death certificate but some states were implementing it.

“A death certificate should ideally include wife or husband’s name on it but some states are not implementing it. The ministry has asked Registrar General to take necessary action in the matter,” a senior ministry official said.

“We are looking it from the perspective of women. Sometimes she is ill-treated by her in-laws after husband’s death and property rights are also denied to her. But if she has her name on the death certificate, she can at least take legal recourse,” the official said.

Inclusion of wife’s name in death certificate will help women claim life insurance and other policies, besides transferring of property on their name.