Explained: The mother’s right to give her child the surname of its step-father

In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court has ruled that in the event of the mother remarrying for the second time after the demise of her first husband, she has the absolute right to decide the surname of the child born from her first marriage. The court said that the mother is the natural guardian of the child after the demise of the father, and thus she has the right to decide her child’s surname. The Apex court overturned the judgement of the Andhra Pradesh High Court which had directed the woman to include the name of her second husband in records as the child’s stepfather. The Times of India spoke to senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India Mahalakshmi Pavani to know the impact of this verdict.