Supreme Court Rules on Right to Change Derogatory Surname, Directs Policy Formulation
Summary
The Supreme Court of Nepal ruled for the right of citizens to change derogatory surnames and directed the formulation of a policy to facilitate this, affirming individual dignity and equality.
Key Points
- Nar Bahadur filed a writ petition seeking the right to change his derogatory surname 'Bishwakarma' and have it reflected on official documents.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs opposed the petition, citing legal and administrative issues with changing names on citizenship certificates.
- The Supreme Court canceled the Ministry's decision preventing surname change and directed the government to create guidelines for surname changes.
- The court emphasized that forcing citizens to carry insulting caste-based surnames violates constitutional rights and human dignity.
