Father / husband’s name

charukesi August 7th, 2005

I bought a new mobile phone from the Reliance outlet (upgradation - so I can take pics from my mobile phone and so on - ahem). And had to fill out a longish form before they handed over the new handset to me.

Among the interesting personal details they (reliance ? government?) wanted to know is : father / husband’s name.

Now why would the government be interested in my father / husband’s name? Of what use is such information to them? Especially considering neither is paying for this phone - I mean, they want my PAN number and not theirs…

Also wondering, why is my husband never asked for father / wife’s name?

10 Responses to “Father / husband’s name”

  1. # Anonymouson 07 Aug 2005 at 15.17

    You also have to provide this information to get an Indian visa, although I guess even men are not exempt from filling in the blanks there. It annoys me every single time.

  2. # Anonymouson 07 Aug 2005 at 15.32

    In case you default on the payment, they can request your dad / husband to pay up :-)

  3. # Anonymouson 07 Aug 2005 at 16.02

    The second anonymous was me

    Kaps
    http://sambharmafia.blogspot.com

  4. # Anonymouson 07 Aug 2005 at 16.46

    “Also wondering, why is my husband never asked for father / wife’s name?”

    Did you mean to write “… mother/wife’s name”?

    Credit card companies always ask for one’s mother’s maiden name; however, it is for the purpose of verifying one’s identity (over the phone, internet, etc).

    In any case, since when have we started demanding that our government change its ways to suit the times we live in?

    Is it even the right post-modern thing to do?

    Cheers,
    Abi.

  5. # harini calamuron 08 Aug 2005 at 00.23

    when i had to fill in my passport renewal form - i was pleasently surprised to see a space for mothers’ name.
    on the reliance form - i guess it is just the ritualisation of data gathering. people put in that field simply because everyone before them has done it.

  6. # charukesion 08 Aug 2005 at 11.30

    Harini and anonymous, ya, I guess it is just one of those things that have stayed on for no reason - but it annoys me…

    Kaps, ha, fat chance.

    Abi, the post modern thing is to write - ‘unwilling to state’ or some such thing next to the box :)

  7. # Sounderramanon 08 Aug 2005 at 13.30

    The reason is history (Unfortunately, the rule is still not history)
    Someone (a lawyer or CA) once told me that this was originally intended to uniquely identify a individual in a legal context.
    Charu by itself could be anyone. But Charu born on dd/mm/yyyy, wife/daughter/son of so-and-so identifies you more uniquely.
    You can think if this made sense in British India

    Its not a MCP thing. Your husband will be asked his father’s name.

    Your PAN No. of course identifies you uniquely

    Sounderraman

  8. # Abion 08 Aug 2005 at 16.05

    the post modern thing is to write - ‘unwilling to state’

    Charu, be careful with what you write; you may get a letter from Reliance addressed to “Mrs. Unwilling to State”.

    More seriously, I agree that this one is quite unncessary and quite stupid, and Reliance people (and others, too) should be ashamed of themselves for having that column in their forms.

    Well, that just leaves our government; I guess our babus will get to removing it after they eradicate poverty and illiteracy …

  9. # charukesion 09 Aug 2005 at 07.51

    Sounderraman, yes I guess, it is about identifying an individual - but I just wonder how useful it really is. And about my husband, that was my question - why not his wife’s name? or mother’s?!

  10. # charukesion 09 Aug 2005 at 13.38

    Abi, for a post modernist, the correct thing is Ms. Unwilling blah blah and not Mrs. :))