I am an FNU! Indian Beaureaucracy!!!

[User_e7d5b943]

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User_e7d5b943
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May 4, 2026 at 2:47 pm

I was born in 1991, at that time my name was entered in my mother’s passport. I was born in India and I my name was ‘FIRSTNAME’ only. No Surname was entered after my firstname in my mother’s passport. In 1999, my parents got me my own passport and I had my very own passport. However, the passport office never entered a surname. Maybe my parents never realised or corrected this mistake.
Also, points to note – Why was the Surname not a mandatory field in the passport form? Why did the passport officers not rejected the application of an 8-year old child with no surname?
Years later I grew up and wanted to travel the world. Each time I would apply for tourist visa THANKS to my shittiest passport on the world, I would face issues. Finally, as grown woman of 23, I approached the passport office in UAE. I have been living in the UAE since 1992. I was told – I will need – along with gazillion proofs – newspaper advertisement in an Indian newspaper and a UAE newspaper. Mind you, this is 2014 we are talking about. Newspaper?? How will I get an ad in the Indian Newspaper, my family lives here and I don’t have such great relatives in India who woulf do anything for me. Such a hassle. I ignored and continued my life on FNU basis (first name unknown)! Now I am married and I don’t want to take my husband’s surname. I choose to keep my identity separate from his and I want to keep my father’s surname. A name I could never use my whole life.
I have been having arguments with my husband because the whole newspaper advertisement is so outdated and bizarre and not to mention costly. But as many INDIANS, the BLS has a ‘JUGAAD’. How bizarre is this???? JUGAAD for a government requirement. So basically you pay someone in BLS and they will put an ad on your behalf in some cheap-a\*\* newspaper because “no one reads it” their words not mine, and in GULF TODAY in UAE because “it’s cheap and no one reads it” !!!!!
You can imagine my anger because as INDIANS we are being made to provide a document announcing to everyone in a newspaper that no one reads because it is cheaper that I am changing my NAME. And the most illogical thing is the advert itself. It states –

I, FIRSTNAME, blah blah Passport number blah blah permanent resident of XXXXXXX, INDIA (address from my passport) and resident of UAE.

I don’t even live there and the house has been sold 2years ago. I have my own house in UAE. I have no permanent address in India, mind you, I live in UAE since 1992. The permanent address belonged to my grandmother and we have solde the house. Hahahahahahhaha! Such an illogical ad. I should be asked to give my UAE address, I live in UAE. NOT INDIA.

Honestly, the INDIAN beaureaucracy makes no sense to me and WHY is no one talking about this??? Please help me understand. Am I the problem?

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