RITIKA PRASAD Vs. GURU GOBIND SINGH INDRAPRASTHA UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner has raised an issue which, though facially simple, is of great societal significance, if discussed in its full amplitude. However, in the light of a commendably progressive circular issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on 6/6/2014, this Court is, I must say regrettably, denied of the chance of doing so.

(2.) The petitioner has passed her 5 year B.A. LLB course from the Amity Law School, Delhi, which at that time was affiliated to the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU). Her grievance is that the B.A. LLB degree issued to her on completion of the course reflects only her father's name (Mahesh Prasad) and not her mother's name (Poonam Prasad). She seeks that her degree should reflect both her father's and mother's name.

(3.) Ms. Prasad has drawn my attention to the principles of gender equality and the right of a person to be identified in the manner the person best chooses, for which purpose she relies, inter alia, on the judgment of the Supreme Court in Jigya Yadav v. CBSE 2021 SCC OnLine SC 415. She also relies on U.O.I. v. Annie Nagaraja (2020) 13 SCC 1 and Ministry of Defence v. Babita Puniya (2020) 7 SCC 469.