Since naming convention in India is not standard, you may end up with different names in different documents. You may have your father's name as your middle name in some cases or town of birth in some other cases. This causes a confusion in instances where you have to produce 2 valid documents. One solution is to apply for change of name in front of a gazetted officer.
Changing name in India is very easy. It is a 2 step process.
In the first step:
1. Locate a notary public in your locality. Approach her with 2 copies of photos and id/address proof
2. Prepare an affidavit. Affidavit can be easily prepared. Ask the notary for help. Regular legal typing agencies have this format ready with them. Type of Affidavit depends on the reason for the name change. Ask for Annexure E. (Annexure E can be used for all purposes including name change in passport)
3. Sign in front of the notary
That is it. This entire process should take less than an hour and cost less than Rs. 300/-
The next step is to publish this change in a well circulated newspaper in English and one local language. You can locate the contact number of the newspaper ad department on the advertisement page. Call them up and check. Generally they ask you to send the matter to them along with a copy of the affidavit. Most newspapers give you an option of paying online. So you can get this done without stepping out out of your home.
I had checked with Times of India. They provide for payment via online transfer. The cost was Rs. 660 for 5 lines and Rs. 120 for each additional line. For this amount, they publish your ad in both English (Times of India) and local language (Kanada newspaper,Vijayavani) editions. And they give you 3 copies of the newspaper if you go to their office with the receipt.
Now you have a valid document which you can use to change your name in all legal documents.
Changing name in India is very easy. It is a 2 step process.
In the first step:
1. Locate a notary public in your locality. Approach her with 2 copies of photos and id/address proof
2. Prepare an affidavit. Affidavit can be easily prepared. Ask the notary for help. Regular legal typing agencies have this format ready with them. Type of Affidavit depends on the reason for the name change. Ask for Annexure E. (Annexure E can be used for all purposes including name change in passport)
3. Sign in front of the notary
That is it. This entire process should take less than an hour and cost less than Rs. 300/-
The next step is to publish this change in a well circulated newspaper in English and one local language. You can locate the contact number of the newspaper ad department on the advertisement page. Call them up and check. Generally they ask you to send the matter to them along with a copy of the affidavit. Most newspapers give you an option of paying online. So you can get this done without stepping out out of your home.
I had checked with Times of India. They provide for payment via online transfer. The cost was Rs. 660 for 5 lines and Rs. 120 for each additional line. For this amount, they publish your ad in both English (Times of India) and local language (Kanada newspaper,Vijayavani) editions. And they give you 3 copies of the newspaper if you go to their office with the receipt.
Now you have a valid document which you can use to change your name in all legal documents.
