The Commission has directed all State Governments and concerned authorities that in place of expressions like `Widow’, `Vidvah’, `Bevah’ and the like, which are normally used to address wives of dead persons, expressions such as `Wife of Late Zauja Mahroom or Dharmpatni Swargiya or Wife of Shaheedvir’ (for those whose husbands had sacrificed their life for the cause of nation/country) should be used by Governments for all official purposes, specially in the official records.

The Commission had considered a proposal from an NGO – Uttam Environment Awareness Mission (UEAM) of Jammu & Kashmir which had suggested that the existing nomenclature for addressing women who had lost their life partners, as used in the records of Revenue Departments, Schools, Employment Exchanges and other areas, be declared to be `Dead Words’. It was felt that the existing usage added to the depression created by the loss and intensified the psychological crisis. It was urged that a change in nomenclature by Government and society would encourage those who had suffered such loss to receive a dignified place in society.

Agreeing with the proposal, the Commission has made the appropriate recommendations in this connection.