Maharashtra’s Maharashtra School Education Department has called for a census of all the children of single mothers studying from Std I to Std XII. According to a notice shared by the school education department, the economic and social difficulties faced by single mothers in the state often compel them to pull their children out of school. In an attempt to aid these women, the state now intends to collect data on the number of these students to pay special attention to their education. The data is then to be used to plan out future schemes that aid these students.

“Single women, be it widows, abandoned women, or divorced women, face a lack of employment resources and support from their in-laws. This often leaves them with no other option but to take their children out of school, due to time and financial constraints,” said Herambh Kulkarni, state convener of Sau Ekal Mahila Samiti, an organisation dedicated to aiding single women across the state.