IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED : 03.12.2025 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE D.BHARATHA CHAKRAVARTHY W.P. No. 41039 of 2025 A.Dhanush S/o.Arul, No.6 Vivekanandhar Nagar, 10th Cross Street, Pallikaranai, Sholinganallur, Chennai 600100.

Petitioner(s)

Vs

1.The Director, Directorate of School Education, DPI Campus, College Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai 600006.

2.The State Board of School Education, Rep. By its Secretary, Department of Government Examinations, DPI Campus, College Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai 600006.

3.The Joint Director, Directorate of School Education, DPI Campus, College Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai 600006.

4.The Head Master, Mother Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Pallikaranai, Chennai 600100.

5.The Head Master Mother Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Velachery, Chennai 600042.

Respondent(s)

PRAYER: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying for a writ of Certiorarified Mandamus calling for the records relating to the impugned proceedings in R.C.No.205714/B5(1)2025 dated 14.05.2025, quash the same and consequently direct the respondents to correct the petitioner’s date of birth as 04.12.2025 in the SSLC and Higher Secondary mark sheets and issue fresh certificates.

For Petitioner(s) : Ms.P.Lavanya for Mr.T.Saravanan For Respondent(s) : Mr.A.M.Ayyadurai

1 to 5 Government Advocate

ORDER

The petitioner has filed this writ petition to quash the proceedings in R.C.No.205714/B5(1)/2025 dated 14.05.2025 passed by the 3^rd respondent and to consequently direct the 3^rd respondent to correct the petitioner’s date of birth as 04.12.2025 in the 10^th and 12^th standard mark sheets and issue fresh certificates and pass such further or other orders.

2. I perused the affidavit filed in support of the writ petition and heard the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the writ petitioner. The grievance of the petitioner is that his actual date of birth is 04.12.2005 and a birth certificate to that effect is also issued by the Government of Tamil Nadu, Department of Revenue Administration, Kurumbur Village Panchayat under Section 12 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act,1969 in Certificate No.B-2023:33-852-000001 dated 13.07.2023. Petitioner’s Aadhaar card also carries the said date of birth. However, while giving the date of birth to the school authorities, an error had crept in, instead of 04.12.2005 it is mentioned as 24.12.2005. It can only be by way of oversight/ typographical error wherein while typing “zero (0)”, number “two (2)” has been typed, therefore, the petitioner has made an application to correct the date of birth in the certificates, however, by the impugned order the same was rejected.

Hence, the petitioner is before this Court.

3. A counter affidavit is duly filed by the respondents. According to the learned Government Advocate appearing on behalf of the respondents, the correction relating to date of birth is dealt with by Rule 5 of the Tamil Nadu Secondary School Leaving Certificate Rules and as per the same, applications requesting change of date of birth in the certificate must not be entertained after the student had completed the School course and appeared for Public examinations. Therefore, the application filed by the petitioner has rightly been rejected by the authorities.

4. I have considered the rival submissions made on either side and perused the material records of the case.

5. Firstly, it can be seen that the correction in date of birth that is now sought is from 24.12.2005 to 04.12.2005, i.e., there is a difference in the letter “zero(0)” to “two(2)”. Secondly, the error leads to a difference in 20 days. Thirdly, the petitioner is not in any government employment, neither will he be precluded from taking the 10^th or 12^th standard examination on the relevant date, if the date of birth is altered. The only reason that can be seen is that the petitioner’s date of birth in the birth certificate is different from that in the education certificate. In that case,