1.

AFFIDAVIT SUBMISSION
2. AD PUBLICATION
3. GAZETTE NOTIFICATION

4.AFFIDAVIT SUBMISSION
The first step in the legal procedure is affidavit submission. You need to
contact a notary to do the needful. The following steps would make the
process simpler and clearer:
5. 1. Approach your local notary and mention your request.
6. 2. The notary will suggest the stamp paper of required value on which the
affidavit for name change is made.
7. 3. Once you have the paper, you need to provide the following details:
a.Name and New name
b.Current address
c.Reason for name change (Astrology, numerology, marriage, etc)
8. 4. Once the affidavit is printed on a plain stamp paper, it needs to be
signed by two witnesses. The legal procedure is to get it signed by two
persons of gazetted officer rank. Ensure that you have their signature,
along with their stamp (rubber stamp).
9. 5. The procedure for a name change, in the case of a central government
employee, needs to be done in lieu with the Ministry of Home Affairs O.M.
No. 190016/1/87-Estt. Dated 12.03.1987. Ask the Notary for advice
or read the guidelines.
10. 6. Married women, who would like to change their surname or add
their husbands name as initials, are required to provide the following
details:
a. Old name with the fathers name and address;
b. New name with husbands name and address;
c. Marriage date.
11. The affidavit reflects both your old and new name. Affidavits can be
used for changing the whole name, surname or just a few letters.
12. Keep a copy of the affidavit. This is a crucial document and comes
in handy for any future legal formalities.
For overseas Indians, who would like to change their name, one needs to
 submit a deed stating the change of name, duly signed by the Indian High
Commission office or the Indian Embassy.

13. 2. NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION

14. If you have made the affidavit, the next step is to publish an
advertisement/notification in the local newspaper that you have changed
your name. For this, you need to select two newspapers, one published in
the official language of the state and the other, an English daily.
15. For instance, if you reside in Madhya Pradesh, you can opt for
Dainik Bhaskar and Times of India/Hindustan Times. If you are from Tamil
Nadu, you can opt for Dinakaran/Dina Thanthi and The Hindu/Indian
Express.
16. The requirement is to pick two popular daily and send a request to
them, stating the following details:
a. Your new name
b. Your old name
c. Date of Birth
d. Address

17. Name Change Advertisement Example

18. The newspapers allot a column for these notifications and will be
able to guide you on this. The format can be had from any newspaper.
Here is a simple example. Lets assume XYZ is changing his name to ABC.
19. I, XYZ, residing at , have changed my name to ABC, and will
be known as ABC from here on in. I have submitted an affidavit to
this effect, which was signed by on .
20. Married women, who would like to change their surname after
marriage, should add their husbands name and address in the
notification.
21. Once your notification is published in the newspaper, remember to
collect as many copies as you can, and store it for future use. Although
one single copy will suffice, it is better to store as many original
newspaper ad copies as you can, to be on the safer side.
22. 3. Gazette Notification
23. We are well at the end of the procedure, and once your gazette
notification is published, your name change will be legally complete.
24. Gazette notification is mandatory for those in employment with the
government and optional for others. However, it is substantial proof of
your name change. Since it just involves sending a few documents for
publication, it may make sense to go through with it.
25. Here is what you need to do to submit the Gazette notification:
26. a. Carry a copy of the Deed changing name form available with the
Controller of Publication, Department of Publication;
27. b. Alternatively, a letter of declaration from you, stating the need
for changing the name will do;
28. c. Carry original copies of advertisements published with the date.
(Attach both ads);
29. d. Carry two attested photographs to ensure you go ahead with the
procedure uninterrupted;
30. e. Carry address and identity proofs (The address should be the
same as the one published in the newspaper and affidavit. Any change of
address might result in rejection of application).
31. However, before sending in the following details, call the
Controllers office of Publication to get a detailed account of what all need
to be sent, and note it down. Also, put the above documents in an A4
sized envelope before sending it to the below mentioned address.
32. The office of the Controller of Publication will send information, with
the necessary copies of the Gazette on which the
Advertisement/Notification has appeared. Keep this safely for future
reference.
33. Now your part of the work in the name change in India process is
done. The Government will print the change of your name in the Gazette.
The amount charged for Gazette notifications varies - either Rs. 700 or
Rs. 900 - depending on whether you want a public notice or not.
34. The money can be paid either in cash or by a demand draft/postal
order drawn in favour of the Controller of Publication, Department of
Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. This is the address you need to
visit in case you will be submitting it in person (office hours are between
10 AM and 1 PM and 2 PM to 3 PM on any working day), or you can
courier/speed post the envelope with all details to the address mentioned
above.. Check the website of the Department of Publication (Government
of India) for further details, here.
35. Although your work for legalizing your name change is made, it is
essential to save all the documents and use it for officially changing your
name in the bank records, certificates and any other documents that you
deem necessary.
36. The name change documents might come as crucial ones when you
apply or renew a passport or for any other future transactions.
37. Also, it is noted in several cases that a person has just the affidavit
and the Newspaper advertisements for a name change, and have not
notified the Gazette regarding the modification. Although, as stated
earlier, the government employees have the mandatory clause for Gazette
notifications, the banks might ask for Gazette notification before changing
your name in the account.