Stepdad’s name in certificates stalls passport, student moves HC

AHMEDABAD: For years, a 20-year-old woman’s school records carried the name of the man who raised her after her mother remarried. But the documents, she told the Gujarat high court, no longer reflect her identity or family reality. After losing her mother during the Covid period, she returned to live with her biological father in Gandhinagar. When she later applied for official documents, the mismatch in names allegedly created complications. She has now approached the high court seeking replacement of her stepfather’s name with her biological father’s name in her school leaving certificate and marksheets.

The resident of Mansa taluka filed the petition through her advocate, requesting that her stepfather’s name be removed from her academic records and replaced with the name of her biological father.

According to the petition, her parents separated through customary divorce when she was very young. Her mother later remarried and shifted to Bharuch district, taking the child along with her. Since she studied in Bharuch up to Class 10, her school records and marksheets issued by the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board carried the name of her stepfather..

The petition stated that the stepfather’s name was entered in official records without any formal adoption process or legal procedure.

After her mother’s death during the pandemic, the petitioner returned to Gandhinagar and has since been living with her biological father.

Last year, she approached a court in Mansa seeking directions to school and board authorities to correct her records. On Feb 28, the court reportedly declared that the school should make the necessary corrections. However, as she also wanted the changes reflected in her marksheets, she moved the high court, stating that the discrepancy was preventing her from obtaining a passport and visa. Replacing her stepfather’s name with her biological father’s would resolve her problem.

Justice H M Prachchhak has issued notice to the education board and school authorities seeking their responses and posted further hearing on June 22.