Minor Gazette Name Change Online Process: Changing a minor’s name, on legal basis, in India is a critical decision requires you to navigate through a methodical framework.
No matter, it’s about spelling correction in a school certificate, updating your surname after family shifts, or changing a first name due to numerological reasons, a Gazette of India notification certifies the needed alteration.
Changing the name is mandatory in all the documents, without which, minors can land-up in legal issues. In fact, this can hamper their registration for boards or any other institution. Moreover, the minors have to inform their existing educational institutes through application for the name change.
As minors cannot legally file an application or sign formal documents, guardian or the parent is authorized to sign them. Moreover, they act as the primary applicant for the minor. Through this guide, you will get to know the proper steps of applying online for a name change through gazette notification.
Minor Gazette Name Change Online Process
The legal process of name change under Gazette Notification is managed by the Department of Publication. It prints weekly gazette issues containing notices, including legal name changes. When it comes to changing the name of minors, Gazette Notification is highly mandatory.
Educational institutions like CBSE or ICSE boards and central authorities such as the Passport Seva Kendra or UIDAI do not accept standalone affidavits for major name changes. They have mandated the Gazette publication as definitive, undisputable legal proof.
So, it is the duty of the parents to apply for the same and highlight the minor’s name change requirement. The transition from the old name to the new one should be done through legalized procedure for proper authentication.
Minor Gazette Name Change Rules
- At the time of applying, only a biological parent, adoptive parent, or court-appointed legal guardian is allowed. No other relative is permitted to sign on behalf of the parents, until and unless both parents are not alive.
- It is mandatory that the guardian or the parent has to sign every paper on behalf of the child as the minor’s signatures are not accepted. Apart from this, the parents should use their official signatures and not any short ones.
- Both the parents have to give their consent. In case of a single parent, it is essential for the available parent to provide divorce decree, or death certificate for the unavailable parent.
- It is important to give a valid reason in the application for changing the name. there are chances of rejection if the authorities suspect a deceiving issue or fraudulent practice.
Essential Checklist of Mandatory Documents
Before applying for the name change of the minor online, you are required to gather a pool of supporting documents. These documents are meant to strengthen or validate your application process.
1. Identity Proof of Minor (Any 1):
- Birth Certificate
- School ID Card
- Aadhar card
2. Identity Proof of Parent (Any 2 Ids):
- Aadhar Card
- PAN Card
- Voter ID Card
- Passport
3. Residence Proof of Parents
- Rent Agreement
- Utility Bills
- Parent’s Aadhar Card with Same Address
4. Passport Size Photographs
- Two Passport-size photographs of the minor against white background.
- Two Passport-size photographs of the parent against white background.
Minor Name Change Gazette (5 Steps) Process
Before heading to apply for name change online through Gazette Notification, it is necessary for the applicant minor’s parent to take certain preparatory measures. Without these, the online application process would be considered incomplete.
1. Getting Minor name change Affidavit Ready:
Affidavit is one of the most noted requirements in the process of changing name legally. So, it is necessary for the parents to get an affidavit made that mentions the details about the child, their old name, new name, and residential address. After getting the affidavit, you should get it attested by the Notary or First-class Magistrate.
Important: The affidavit will be signed by the Parents (either father or mother, who is going to be the applicant) only.
2. Name Change Newspaper Advertisement:
Your name is the most important identity that you carry throughout life. Of course, no parent would want their child’s old name should get in trouble. So, in this regard, giving an advertisement in the newspaper is the best decision.
It is all about informing the general public about name change. The original copy of the newspaper advertisement will be included in the Gazette Notification file.
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3. Gazette File Drafting:
You can get it drafted yourself or take the help of any lawyer or name change expert to get your child’s name change Gazette file drafted.
Drafting of Gazette file consists of;
- Request Letter
- Two proforma signed by Two witnesses from your locality
- CD (MS Word file contaning the exact matter to get published in Gazette)
- CD Certificate
- Govt Fee Receipt
4. Paying the Fees:
As it is about changing the name of a minor, the fee is Rs. 1700, instead of Rs. 1100 for the adults. While making the payment, you should ensure that it has to be done through BharatKosh. Well, it is the authorized medium for paying the requisite gazette notification fee.
5. Submission of Gazette File and Publication
Now that the documents are prepared, fee has been paid, the next step is to submit your file at Gazette office.
Now the Department allows two ways of submission;
- In Person (By visiting office physically)
- By Post (If you are far away from Delhi)
The Address where you have to submit your file;
TO,
THE CONTROLLER OF PUBLICATION,
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLICATION ,
CIVIL LINES, BEHIND OLD VIDHAN SABHA
DELHI-110054
If you submit in person then allow about a month for the gazette to be published. If submission is done via post or courier then it takes minimum of 45 days and up to 60 days.
Also, Gazette department does not provide any kind of tracking options. Applicant needs to visit https://egazette.gov.in/and keep checking their name in newly published Gazette.
Department publishes Gazette weekly on every saturday around 10 a.m. One thing to note is that the government does not physically print the gazette.
After the gazette is published, you can take the printout and apply for name change in Aadhar Card, or any other important document on your minor child.
Updating Minor name in Documents like Aadhar & School Records
Once you download the Gazette, visit your nearest Aadhar centre and apply for name change of your minor child using name change Gazette notification.
Once applied, the minor Aadhaar will be updated within 15 days.
After that, get your minor’s name corrected in their other documents like school records.