Saraswati M., a sanitation worker and single mother from Bengaluru, asked, “If men and women are equal, why are my documents not accepted for my children’s scholarship and only their father’s transfer certificate (TC) is sought?” Her husband died eight years ago, and she cannot provide his TC. She has a daughter in class 7 and a son in class 5, both needing scholarships. This problem affects families in 38 slums across seven Bengaluru wards, home to nearly 18,000 families, mainly from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities. Many families are led by widows or abandoned women, often working as cleaners or daily wage workers. The government requires children’s caste certificates to be verified by the father’s TC and caste certificate. Without these, scholarship applications often get rejected. Officials say only the father’s documents from Karnataka are valid, rejecting those from other states. Women like Vijaya L., whose husband only studied till class 5 and has no TC, find their own education and documents are ignored. Illiteracy among many single mothers makes it impossible to provide these certificates. Kamala, a resident of Jai Bheem Nagar, said, “Welfare schemes meant for SC communities never reach the families they are intended for. Officials discriminate even within the SC community during certification.” Revenue officials in Karnataka recognize the issue and are discussing policy changes. They admitted the system relies on software that demands certain documents, causing delays and failures in cases of absent fathers. Other states offer hope. Rajasthan and Delhi allow single mothers to get caste certificates for their children using only the mother’s documents. The Supreme Court has ruled that minors can get SC certificates based on the mother’s caste regardless of the father’s community. The struggle continues for Bengaluru’s single mothers and their children amid outdated rules and rigid documentation demands.