OFFICIAL TITLE

  nowadays, since it has become fashionable to slander Gandhiji, a recent RTI query is often cited to prove that he was never formally accorded the title of 'Father of the Nation' by the government. ...as if everything has to have a formal title?! but, just to place the record - the 'title' of 'Father of the Nation' was first used by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in a speech delivered over Azad Hind Radio, from Rangoon on 6th July, 1944. In it, Netaji gave an update of the INA activities to Gandhiji and said, '...Father of our Nation! In this holy war of India's liberation, we ask for your blessing and good wishes'. [in another speech on 22nd Jan, 1944, he had even referred to Kasturba as 'mother of the Indian people'] ! now, as regards 'official recognition', it is noteworthy that the speeches were made by Netaji, who enjoyed pan-India popularity (and also among Indians abroad - NRIs, in our terminology) while he was the formal Head of State of the Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind - the Provisional Government of Free India. and this was a speech broadcast over its official media-wing, the Azad Hind radio. it is also noteworthy that this was a bona fide government with several functional ministries - including finance, foreign affairs, posts and defence (the INA was its formal army). it enjoyed widespread support from (and occasionally used threats against) the Indians of Burma, Indo-China and Singapore. and it had at least nominal control over little parts of Indian territory. Furthermore, it was a government formally recognized, and with diplomatic relations with Germany, Italy and Japan and six other (satellite) states.  and these points of 'official govt' would be used by the defence counsel at the INA trials at Red Fort. taken together, all this should make the title 'father of the nation' as official as any other way of recognizing it (and, as far as i know, the government of newly-independent India never tried to formally dissuade itself from this use). of course, it is understandable that the British and their allies and those treacherous Indians who cringed before the brits would have never accepted either Netaji or the INA or the title to Gandhiji.
अनिरबन मित्रा यांच्या wall वरूनAN