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2025 Supreme(Online)(Mad) 44606
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
C. Saravanan, J
Arumugavasuki – Appellant
Versus
The Director – Respondent
W.P.(MD) No. 18999 of 2025
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Mr.S. Ramana
For the Respondents: Mr.T.Cibi Chakraborthy Standing Counsel
Court mandates educational institutions to amend records to reflect name changes lawfully published in government gazettes.
Headnote:The petitioner sought to change her name on educational qualifications after a change published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette. The court found that the university's refusal to amend her name was unjust, as the change had been made during her studies. It concluded that the university must reflect this change within six weeks. The impugned order by the respondents was quashed.
| Table of Content |
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| 1. court orders university to amend records in accordance with legal name change. (Para 1 , 6) |
| 2. petitioner's request based on her government-recognized name. (Para 2 , 5) |
| 3. university's refusal to amend records is under scrutiny. (Para 3 , 4) |
ORDER
This Writ Petition is disposed of at the time of admission with the consent of the learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Standing Counsel for the respondents.
2. The petitioner has changed her name to her present name, namely, M.Arumugavasuki from M.Arumugam and had advertised the same in the Gazatte published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazatte, Kanyakumari District, dated 19.09.2006, when she was pursuing her B.Com decree with the second respondent/University. The request of the petitioner for change in her name in the certificates on 14.08.2007 has been rejected by the impugned order with the following endorsement:
“Though the name correction/change was done through gazette on Sep.2006, the candidate received her certificates on 14.08.2007 from ALU. As the certificates were issued on 2007 and the student does not claimed to change her name as per gazette publication, it is NOT needed to change the name in the already issued certificate. Since, the candidate got register herself with the name M.Arumugam, the University issued certificate printed with registered name on 2007 itself. Further the candidate can use gazette publication to claim her authorship to the certificate printed with old name. Hence, the request may NOT be considered to issue certificates in a name which is not registered with University.”
3. The learned Standing Counsel for the respondents submits that the name change cannot be permitted, with the petitioner producing other documents such as SSLC Certificate, Transfer Certificate, HSC Certificate, etc with her new name.
4. I have considered the arguments advanced by the learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Standing Counsel for the respondents.
5. In my view, the objection of the respondents cannot be countenanced as the petitioner had completed her course with the second respondent/University and since the petitioner changed her name as mentioned above while pursuing B.Com course, the SSLC Certificate and other school certificates will not have the petitioner’s new name, namely, Arumugavasuki.
6. Since the records are clear, there shall be a direction to the second respondent to change the name of the petitioner in her education qualification certificate based on the affidavit filed in the Tamilnadu Government Gazette notification Kanyakumari, dated 19.09.2006 in Registered No. TN/CCN /117/2006-08 within a period of six (6) weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.
7. This Writ Petition is allowed, with the above observations. No costs.
