Women need not change their names on passports

New Delhi, April 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that "women need not change their names in passports after their marriage" he told here on Thursday.

However, as the instructions for filling the passport application form and the testimonies of several women on social media suggest, this was never a requirement.

Meanwhile, On the issue of the name change, the instructions booklet of the passport application form on the Passport Seva website says:

"This will be applicable to an applicant who has even marginally changed the name or a female who has changed her name or surname after marriage."