Panaji: Christians, Muslims will be able to change name in marriage cert

PANAJI: Christian and Muslim brides, who were not permitted to change their names in the marriage certificate issued by the civil registrar, will soon be given the option to do it, former law minister Nilesh Cabral said on Thursday.
The system existing from pre-Liberation days only gave Hindu brides the option of adopting their husband’s name in their marriage certificate, while Christians and Muslim brides, who adopted their husband’s surnames, had to do so later, Cabral said.
“I have cleared the file. The notification will be issued soon. Now, it will be left up to the people of Goa to decide whether they want to incorporate their husband’s name at the time of marriage in the marriage certificate,” Cabral, who holds the power portfolio, said.
This will eliminate the cumbersome process for Christians and Muslims of changing the bride’s name subsequently, which involved presentation of documents at several offices and also requiring one to notify this in the gazette.
Once issued, already married Christians and Muslims will be able to correct their names officially on their marriage certificates, an official said.
Another flaw in the system will be corrected where the child born would automatically take the mother’s name with the father’s surname even if she hadn’t incorporated the husband’s surname into her own, he said.
For example if Rita Fernandes married Savio Sequeira, the child’s birth certificate would state child of “Rita Savio Sequeira’, though she may not have taken her husband’s surname.
“This Rita Savio Sequeira was non-existent,” the official said, adding that this too will be sorted out.
Though the law portfolio is now with Vishwajit Rane, Cabral said he would render any assistance needed and cooperate with Rane for the people.