GAZETTE INDIA

How to apply to change your name in the gazette of India?

While preferring a name change to have fortune vibes due to its paramount significance in our lives, the name change procedure legally becomes possible but time consuming to some extent in our country. This article deals about how to apply for change of your name change in the gazette of India and guidelines for name change legally for various reasons.

Depending on how the name of a person is spelt out its sound and vibration matter a lot influencing the life of the person, researches do acclaim. Since name plays a vital role in improving each and every aspect of our lives we sometimes wish to go for a change in our names obviously on several grounds.

Why do people wish to change their names?

Being multi factorial, name change could be done for just no reason at all if they don't like their name. But it is absolutely legalized.

1. People intend to change name simply because of not liking the name given at the time of birth by parents that sounds tweedy, peculiar, could be misspelled or embarrassing.

2. From futuristic standpoint, change of name is requested to have better lifestyle than the present one.

3. Change of name upon marriage is common among women in India with maiden name desired to be husband's name.

4. To include mother's name/initial as surname along with father's name/initial as surname is also desired.

5. Certain individuals may opt for name change on ethnic/religious grounds favoring inheritance of family name to be added upon to their existing name.


6. In certain Individuals believes numerology/astrology may opt for change of their name.

7. In certain Individuals takes divorce from husband and goes to remarriage others then their surname and their minor/major children change of surname etc...

8. In certain Individuals adopts the children from others then they want to change their children name or surname etc...

9. In certain Individuals they changes their religion also in case of marriage or other reasons should be give public notice in India Gazette.

10. In certain Individuals their father name wrongly recorded in their educational certificates etc..due to parental mistake or any other reasons also should give public notice in India gazette for amendment of father name.

11. In certain Government Employees their name or fathers name may be recorded wrongly in their service book also should be give a public notice in India gazette for correction of name.

12. In certain Individual women wants to change their name due to fixing of marriage as per astrology etc...and their father name also wrongly recorded in their certificates also should be give a public notice for amendment in fathers name and also give gazette notification for change of name.

13. In certain Individuals they wants to change their gender with modern surgeries etc...also should give public notice and also change of name notification in India Gazette.

How to change your name officially in India?

Applying to change your name in the gazette of India and name change procedure in India is simple and legally permitted as scheduled by the Indian judiciary but to certain extent a bit time consuming process whatever the reason might be. Name change process will take some time and require a couple of visits to local magistrate office to obtain the documents of attestation. Payment of fees at each step while processing the name change must be required. As per a proposed revision of the existing Registration of Births and Deaths Act, name change in India has never been permitted more than once in a lifetime of the individual. Hence, due consideration should be given to name change. Let us go ahead with the guidelines for name change in India legally.

Requesting affidavit

If you desire to change your name you need to be ready with an affidavit on Rs. 10 stamp paper in front of any legal official/magistrate of the area of your domicile/notary mentioning in the affidavit that the reason for name change, old name, residential address, father/husband's name, and then new name, address, father/husband's name, etc. The legal authority will attest your affidavit in accordance with your application. If you are an NRI, your affidavit should be attested by the corresponding Indian Embassy/Indian High Commission. The clerks of the civil court who are knowledgeable in this process will get the affidavit prepared since they keep the formatting of the affidavit. For this they will collect a fee. Then you need to get it attested with a signature by the magistrate. You also have to get another affidavit on Rs. 10 stamp paper attested with the above details in the first affidavit.

Filing declaration form/ProForma

Filing declaration form known as Proforma is required to be made in duplicate in accordance with the specimen given by the Department of Publication in New Delhi. Two copies are essential. You have to sign this Proforma in front of two witnesses and get their signatures as well in the document.

Attesting photographs

Two passport-sized photographs should be pasted on an A4 paper and also attestation by notary is a must.

Placing advertisements in a newspaper

It is important to place advertisement in at least two local newspapers stating your change of name, old name, your father/husband's name, address, and why you want to have a name change. You are recommended to obtain original copy of this advertisement appearing in the newspaper, to tear the whole page of the newspaper with date and name of paper visible and highlight change of your name publication. It is better to have more than 10 copies of each newspaper for future reference.

Publishing in the gazette of India

The name change procedure will be completed when the name change is declared by publishing it in the gazette of India Part IV by paying a fee by DD in advance. 

Obtaining copies from the gazette

You need to wait for at least 45 days to inquire about your status of name change after mailing the above required DD and documents by mentioning your old and new names as a reference. And if everything goes fine you will receive copy/three copies of the gazette as the case may be through post. Now, you just enclose the gazette copy of your name change wherever it is required. At last you are done.

How to continue after name change?

On fulfilling the above steps obtaining your name change published in the gazette of India, you can have your passport, pan card, driving license, bank accounts bearing a desired new name. While for persuasion of higher studies or to apply for jobs in the public sector, you need to replace your new name in place of old in the 10th, 12th and degree certificates. In India, 10th and 12th standard certificates are of great importance and change of name in these certificates is definitely a time consuming procedure taking minimum of three months. To get these certificates assigned with your new name, letter must be sent to the respective board/examinations official along with copies of name change proof. This is posted only through registered post acknowledgment due only and not by courier. You must possess the registered post receipt and acknowledgment card along with application copy ready in hand. So that you can go for any query in case you will not receive any response from the board authority in obtaining the originals endorsed with new name. In the interim, you are supposed to hold on without these originals for a due course of time.

GUIDELINES FOR CHANGE OF NAME FOR MAJORS NOTICE FOR

advertisement by individual in the Gazette of India Part-IV regarding Change of Name, addition or deletion of surname etc. The person attaining the age of 18 yrs. and above who wishes to get his/her change of name published in the Gazette of India Part-IV has to comply with the following formalities prior to publish of such advertisement.

1. Please advertise change of name in one of the daily local leading newspaper stating therein father’s/Husband’s name along with residential address and forward it in original to this Department.

2. Please submit an original affidavit duly attested by first class Magistrate/Notary/Oath Commissioner showing therein full details of father’s/husband’s name along with residential address before taking oath in the affidavit . In case of individuals working with Central Govt. they may submit deed for change of name in accordance with the Ministry of Home Affairs O.M. No. - 190016/1/87-Estt. dated 12.03.1987. Specimen is attached. In case of Indians, living abroad, he/she will submit deed duly attested by the respective Indian Embassy/Indian High Commission, in original to this Department.

3. Please submit printing matter as prescribed in the attached specimen duly completed in all respects by typing the same on a separate plain paper and signed by the individual in his/her old name, with two witnesses in duplicate and one CD. The Proforma must be typed.

4. Please attach two passport size photographs and come personally or else the case can be sent by registered post with photographs duly attested.

5. The printing charges for publication of change of name will be payable as prescribed by the government.

6. All the aforesaid document, printing charges together with forwarding letter addressed to The controller of Publication, Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-54. should be sent to this Department. The documents must not be old beyond the period of one year.

7. The documents once submitted in this Department will not be returned in any circumstances, neither original nor Xerox copy.

8. Visiting hrs. to the public in this regard is 10.00 am to 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 3.00pm on any working day.

9. (A) If the individual adopts the name of other religion and not change his/her religion, he/she must produce an affidavit duly signed by the SDM that he/she not changed his/her religion. The cost of such type of advertisement will may be around Rs. 1500/- depends upon newspaper and publication matter. 

(B) Such type of matter for change of Religion must also be shown in the newspaper as well as in the prescribed Performa.