Documents Required for Gazette Name Change in Jharkhand
A Gazette of India name change file is five papers and three enclosures, and the Department of Publication in Delhi reads them as a set: the affidavit fixes the wording, the two newspaper pages repeat it, the proforma in two copies carries it with two witnesses, the CD carries it in Word, and the request letter lists them all with the BharatKosh receipt number. Nothing sent is returned, and a file with one paper wrong comes back after six weeks with the fee gone. This page is the file paper by paper for a Jharkhand resident: what each paper is, who makes it and where in the State, what to check on it before the envelope is sealed, the extras for a minor, a public notice, an applicant abroad, a Government employee and a marriage or divorce case, what is never asked for despite what the internet says, and the order the papers are made in.
The documents required for a gazette name change in Jharkhand are the five papers the Department of Publication's guidelines list, plus three enclosures. One: an affidavit for change of name on non-judicial stamp paper, sworn before a notary at your district court in the old name, stating the old name, the new name, the address, the reason and a verification clause, in original. Two: complete original pages of two daily newspapers circulating in Jharkhand, one Hindi and one English, carrying the notice with the affidavit's number and date, not cuttings. Three: the Department's prescribed proforma, computer typed, in two copies, headed "No. ADVT IV /", signed in the old name, with two witnesses giving full name, father's name, full address with pin code and signature. Four: a CD holding the proforma's notice as a Word file without the witness portion and with the old name typed in place of the signature, with a signed certificate that the soft copy and the hard copy are the same. Five: a request letter to the Controller of Publications, Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, listing the enclosures and quoting the BharatKosh receipt. The enclosures are the BharatKosh receipt for the fee, commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult, two passport photographs self-attested, and self-attested copies of the applicant's Aadhaar and PAN and of both witnesses' Aadhaar. A minor's file adds the guardian's undertaking, the guardian's ID and photographs of both, and the child's birth certificate; a public notice of a wrongly written name adds the certificates named in it; an applicant abroad adds mission attestation of the affidavit; a Government employee adds the departmental deed; a marriage or divorce case adds the certificate or decree where the reason is stated. Not required: a demand draft, address proof beyond Aadhaar, a "no pending case" affidavit, a lawyer, or a visit to any office in Jharkhand. Documents older than about a year are refreshed, and nothing is returned.
The pages ranking for documents required for gazette name change in Jharkhand agree on the five papers and then add things the Department has never asked for: a "no pending criminal case" declaration, a demand draft, a "hard copy of the Gazette you will receive", and, on one, an affidavit on "Rs 10 or Rs 20 stamp paper" as if a value were prescribed. Two are right about the extras for a minor, the guardian's undertaking and both parties' photographs, and none says where in Jharkhand each paper is made or which mistake on each returns the whole file. That is the page missing, and this is it.
This page is the Gazette file only. The master checklist for everything after the Gazette, Aadhaar, PAN, the passport and the rest, is the documents required for name change page; the affidavit's format is on the affidavit page; the newspapers on the newspaper page; and where the envelope goes on the gazette office page.
At a glance
- Paper 1
- Affidavit for change of name, notarised, in original, signed in the old name
- Paper 2
- Two complete original newspaper pages, one Hindi and one English daily circulating in Jharkhand, identical wording
- Paper 3
- The prescribed proforma, typed, two copies, "No. ADVT IV /", old-name signature, two witnesses with full addresses
- Paper 4
- CD with the notice in Word, no witness portion, old name typed for the signature; signed same-contents certificate
- Paper 5
- Request letter to the Controller of Publications with the enclosure list and the receipt number
- Enclosures
- BharatKosh receipt; two self-attested photographs; self-attested Aadhaar and PAN of the applicant and Aadhaar of both witnesses
- Extras by case
- Minor: guardian's undertaking, guardian's ID, photographs of both, birth certificate. Public notice: the certificates named. Abroad: mission attestation. Government employee: the departmental deed. Marriage or divorce: the certificate or decree
- Never asked for
- Demand draft, address proof beyond Aadhaar, "no pending case" affidavit, lawyer's letter, Jharkhand Gazette anything
- Age of papers
- About a year at most; older papers are redone
- Returned
- Nothing; keep a scanned set
Key takeaways
- The file is five papers and three enclosures. Everything else on the internet's lists is padding or wrong.
- One spelling of the new name runs through all five; a letter's difference between the affidavit and the proforma returns the file.
- Every signature is in the OLD name, the one Aadhaar still carries; the new name appears only as the name being taken.
- Two witnesses, both with a pin code; one witness or a missing pin code is the commonest return.
- Full newspaper pages, not cuttings; a Word file, not a PDF; typed, not handwritten.
- The fee is a BharatKosh receipt in the file, never a draft; the office returns nothing, so scan first.
The Five Papers in a Gazette Name Change File From Jharkhand, One by One
1. The affidavit for change of name
- What: a sworn declaration on non-judicial stamp paper that you, known as the old name, will henceforth be known as the new name, with the reason and a verification clause.
- Who and where: you, before a notary at the civil court in your district, Kutchery in Ranchi; a Judicial Magistrate's attestation also serves.
- Check: old name as on Aadhaar; new name spelt exactly as everywhere else; father's or husband's name; address with pin code; the notary's seal, signature, register number and date; your signature in the old name; the original, not a copy.
- Also usable for: the newspaper notice quotes its number and date.
2. The two newspaper pages
- What: the change-of-name notice printed in two daily newspapers circulating in Jharkhand, one Hindi and one English, in identical wording, quoting the affidavit.
- Who and where: the newspapers' classified desks in Ranchi or your town; the Department's guideline text says one daily, practice is two.
- Check: the complete original page of each paper, masthead and date visible, two copies of each; a date after the affidavit; the old and new names spelt as on the affidavit; no cutting, no photocopy.
3. The proforma in two copies
- What: the Department of Publication's specimen for change of name, headed "No. ADVT IV /", carrying the "shall hereafter be known as" declaration.
- Who and where: typed by you or your desk from the Department's format; signed by you and two witnesses anywhere.
- Check: computer typed; two copies, both signed in the OLD name; two witnesses each with full name, father's name, full address with pin code and signature; the occupation and employer line filled or struck; no cutting or overwriting; the wording for a change, not the public-notice wording.
4. The CD and its certificate
- What: a compact disc holding the proforma's notice as a Word file, without the witness portion, with the old name typed where your signature sits; and a paper certificate that the soft and hard copies are the same.
- Who and where: any computer shop in Jharkhand can burn it; the certificate is signed by you.
- Check: Word, not PDF or a scan; the witness portion removed; the CD labelled with your name; the certificate signed in the old name.
5. The request letter
- What: a one-page letter to the Controller of Publications, Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, asking for publication in Part IV.
- Who and where: you, signed in the old name; the envelope is addressed the same way.
- Check: the subject line; the old and new names as on the proforma; the BharatKosh receipt number, date and amount; the enclosure list; your mobile and email; your signature and no one else's.
The set as a whole
- One spelling of the new name, in the same script, on all five.
- One address, with one pin code, on the affidavit, the newspapers, the proforma and the letter.
- Every signature in the old name.
- Nothing older than about a year; an old affidavit is resworn, an old notice is reprinted.
- A scanned set kept before sealing; nothing returns.
The Three Enclosures: BharatKosh Receipt, Photographs and Self-Attested IDs
| Enclosure | What | Check |
|---|---|---|
| BharatKosh receipt | The printed receipt for the Government fee paid at bharatkosh.gov.in to the Department of Publication for a Gazette notification, commonly Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, Rs 1,350 public notice | Paid in the applicant's old name; the transaction reference legible; the amount matching the case; the number quoted in the letter |
| Two photographs | Recent passport-size photographs of the applicant, self-attested on the front | Signed in the old name; for a minor, photographs of the guardian and the child |
| Self-attested IDs | Copies of the applicant's Aadhaar and PAN, and of both witnesses' Aadhaar | Each copy signed in the old name by its holder; the witnesses' addresses on Aadhaar matching the proforma |
Extra Documents for a Minor, a Public Notice, an Applicant Abroad, a Government Employee, and a Marriage or Divorce Case
| Case | Extra documents | Changes to the five papers |
|---|---|---|
| Minor, under 18 | The guardian's signed undertaking; the guardian's self-attested ID; two photographs each of the guardian and the child; the child's birth certificate; a court order where the guardian is not a parent | The proforma is the "specimen form for change of name of minor"; the guardian signs everything, the child signs nothing; the notice states the child's age; fee commonly Rs 1,700. On the minor page |
| Public notice of a wrongly written name | Copies of each certificate on which the name is wrongly written, quoted by number, issuer and date; the undertaking the fee includes | The affidavit, the newspapers, the proforma and the CD carry the public-notice wording quoting the misprint exactly; fee commonly Rs 1,350; Rs 250 per alias. On the public notice page |
| Applicant living abroad | The affidavit attested by the Indian mission in the country of residence; the passport's data page | A higher fee, revised from time to time and confirmed before filing; the file may be posted from abroad or by a relative in Jharkhand on the applicant's behalf, still in the applicant's name |
| Central or State Government employee | The deed of change of name on plain paper witnessed by two gazetted officers of the same department under the MHA memorandum of 12 March 1987, and the department's forwarding where it requires one | The proforma's employer line filled; the deed is the only place the two-gazetted-officers rule applies. On the gazette page's employee section |
| Surname after marriage | The registered marriage certificate | Usually no Gazette at all; where one is still wanted, the certificate goes with the affidavit as the reason. On the marriage page |
| Maiden name after divorce | The certified decree | The decree is the standard proof; the Gazette is the fallback, with the decree attached as the reason. On the divorce page |
| Gender | The certificate of identity under the Transgender Persons Act, 2019 | The certificate is the instrument for gender; a Gazette is for the name where one is wanted |
Documents the Gazette Office Never Asks For, Whatever a Page Says
A demand draft
The fee is paid on BharatKosh and the receipt is enclosed; the Department takes no draft, and a draft to a "Controller of Publications, Jharkhand" cannot be cashed by anyone.
A "no pending case" affidavit
An invention of competitor pages. The only limit on a change of name is that it is not for fraud; there is no eligibility affidavit, no police report and no court clearance.
A lawyer's letter or vakalatnama
The application is yours and needs no advocate; a desk prepares, you sign.
Address proof beyond Aadhaar
Aadhaar and PAN identify you; a rent agreement or a utility bill is not on the list.
Anything from the Jharkhand Gazette
The State journal has no form and no role; a page from the old Doranda practice is attached only as a reason, never as a required paper.
A hard copy of the Gazette afterwards
Part IV has been digital only since 1 October 2015; the free PDF from egazette.gov.in is the notice, and no office needs a print from Delhi.
The Same Papers in the Order They Are Made: The Central Gazette Process From Jharkhand, Step by Step
The checklist above is the file as the office sees it; this is the file as you make it, in sequence, because each paper depends on the one before: the affidavit fixes the wording, the newspapers quote the affidavit, the proforma copies the newspapers, the CD copies the proforma, and the letter lists them all. There is no Gazette office in Jharkhand; the file goes to the Department of Publication in Delhi in your own name.
Route check and wording, day 0
Confirm that you need a gazette at all: a marriage surname, a divorce and a spelling correction do not, and the six UIDAI categories reach Aadhaar without one. Then fix the exact new name, spacing and initials included, in Roman and in Hindi, and confirm it in writing. Every later paper copies this wording.
Affidavit, day 1 to 2
Sworn on non-judicial stamp paper before a notary at your district court, in the OLD name as on your current Aadhaar: old name, new name, father's or husband's name, address with pin code, reason, verification clause, notary seal and register number. Stamp paper and notary commonly Rs 100 to Rs 500. Format on the affidavit page.
Two newspaper notices, day 3 to 7
One Hindi daily and one English daily in editions that circulate in Jharkhand, identical wording quoting the affidavit number and date. Keep the complete original page of each paper, masthead and date visible, two copies. Rs 800 to Rs 4,000 at actual cost. Detail on the newspaper page.
Proforma, CD and request letter, day 7 to 8
The Department's proforma typed in two copies, headed "No. ADVT IV /", signed in the old name, two witnesses with full addresses and pin codes, two photographs, self-attested IDs of you and both witnesses; a CD with the notice in Word without the witness portion plus a signed certificate that soft and hard copy match; a request letter to the Controller of Publications. Full list on the documents page.
Fee on BharatKosh, day 8
Only on bharatkosh.gov.in, in your own name, selecting the Department of Publication and the Gazette notification purpose: commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult, Rs 1,700 for a minor, revised each financial year, non-refundable. Print the receipt for the file. No demand draft, no cash, no counter anywhere in Jharkhand.
Delivered in Delhi in your name, day 8 to 10
The five papers, affidavit and pages in original, to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054, in person or by tracked post in the applicant's name. Our Delhi office delivers Jharkhand files in your name. Nothing is returned, so keep a scanned set.
Published and downloaded, day 40 to 55
Part IV is released weekly; publication commonly takes 30 to 45 days. Search your old or new name on egazette.gov.in, download the free PDF, and note the Gazette number, date and page. No attestation is needed for use in India. A wrong print is corrected by corrigendum within six months.
Then Aadhaar, PAN and every record
Carry the printed Gazette PDF with the affidavit and both newspaper pages to Aadhaar first, then PAN, then every record; the documents each of those offices wants are on the master documents page. The gazette pillar, with the July 2025 story of the Jharkhand Gazette, is the gazette name change page.
The five papers, line by line
| Paper | What it contains, clause by clause | The mistake that returns the file |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Affidavit | Title "Affidavit for change of name". Deponent's old name, son or daughter or wife of, age, address with pin code. Clause 1: that the deponent is a citizen of India and a resident of the address. Clause 2: the old name as on Aadhaar and the documents it appears on. Clause 3: that the deponent has decided to be known as the new name, spelt in full, from the date of the affidavit. Clause 4: the reason, in one line. Clause 5: that the old and new names refer to one and the same person. Verification clause: that the contents are true to the deponent's knowledge, sworn at the place on the date. Deponent's signature in the OLD name; notary's seal, signature, register serial and date. | Signed in the new name; a spelling in clause 3 that differs from the proforma by a letter; a photocopy sent instead of the original. |
| 2. Two newspaper pages | Wording: "I, [old name], son or daughter or wife of [name], resident of [address, pin code], have changed my name to [new name] by affidavit No. [number] dated [date] sworn before [notary, place]. Henceforth I shall be known as [new name]." One Hindi daily and one English daily in editions circulating in Jharkhand, on any date after the affidavit. The complete page of each, masthead and date visible, in original, two copies each. | A cutting instead of the page; a notice dated before the affidavit; the two notices worded differently; the new name spelt differently from the affidavit. |
| 3. Proforma, two copies | Headed "No. ADVT IV /" with the date. Wording for a change of name: "I, [old name], son or daughter or wife of [name], employed as [occupation] at [address] or residing at [address], have changed my name and shall hereafter be known as [new name]. It is certified that I have complied with other legal requirements in this connection." Signature in the OLD name. Two witnesses, each with full name, father's name, full address with pin code and signature. Computer typed, no cutting or overwriting. | Handwritten; one witness; a witness without a pin code; signed in the new name; the wrongly-written-name wording used for a change, or the reverse. |
| 4. CD with certificate | The proforma's notice in a Word file, without the witness portion, with the old name typed in place of the signature. A signed certificate on paper: "Certified that the soft copy on the enclosed CD and the hard copy of the notice are the same." The CD labelled with the applicant's name. | A PDF instead of Word; the witness portion left in; the certificate unsigned. |
| 5. Request letter | To the Controller of Publications, Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. Subject: publication of change of name in the Gazette of India, Part IV. The request, the list of enclosures, the BharatKosh receipt number and date, the applicant's mobile and email, the applicant's signature in the old name. | No receipt number; the letter signed by an agent. |
What goes with the five
Two passport photographs; self-attested copies of the applicant's Aadhaar and PAN and of both witnesses' Aadhaar; the BharatKosh receipt; for an applicant abroad, the affidavit attested by the Indian mission and the higher fee. Documents not older than about a year.
BharatKosh, field by field
bharatkosh.gov.in, Non-Registered Users, Quick Payment; Ministry: Housing and Urban Affairs; Purpose: Department of Publication, Gazette notification; the amount for adult or minor; the payer's name exactly as the old name on the affidavit; the address; UPI, net banking or card. Download the receipt with its transaction reference and print it for the file.
Reading the published notice
The e-Gazette PDF carries the Gazette of India number, the Part IV heading, the date of publication, the page number and your notice in its own paragraph. Every office reads the number, the date and the page; write them on every covering letter. A notice with a misprint is corrected by corrigendum within six months, free where the press erred; a corrected notice is what each office gets.
Where Each Gazette Paper Is Made in Jharkhand, and by Whom
| Paper | Made at | By | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affidavit | The notary at your district civil court: Kutchery in Ranchi; the court premises in Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Deoghar and every district | You, with the draft in hand | An hour; same day |
| Two newspaper pages | The classified desks of the Ranchi editions of the big Hindi dailies and of an English daily with a Jharkhand edition, or their agents in your town | You, or your desk on your instruction | Two to five days to print; buy two copies each on the day |
| Proforma in two copies | Typed anywhere from the Department's format; signed at home with the witnesses present | You and two witnesses, adults with Aadhaar addresses | A day |
| CD and certificate | Any computer shop or your desk | You sign the certificate | Minutes |
| Request letter | Typed anywhere | You | Minutes |
| BharatKosh receipt | bharatkosh.gov.in from any phone; a Pragya Kendra can print it | You, in your old name | Minutes; the same day as posting |
| Photographs and IDs | Any studio; self-attested at home | You and the witnesses | An hour |
| The envelope | Any post office in Jharkhand, by tracked service; or our Delhi office carries it | You, as sender, in the old name | Two to four days to Civil Lines |
Which of these steps can be done online is on the name change online page: BharatKosh and the e-Gazette are; the notary, the newspapers and the post are not.
What Each Gazette Name Change Document Costs in Jharkhand
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Affidavit: stamp paper and notary | Commonly Rs 100 to Rs 500 | The notary's fee varies by district; no value of stamp paper is prescribed by the Department |
| Two newspaper notices | Rs 800 to Rs 4,000 at actual cost | Classified rates; Ranchi editions cost more than district editions |
| Proforma, CD, letter, photographs, copies | Under Rs 200 | Typing, a blank CD, a studio, photocopies |
| Government fee on BharatKosh | Commonly Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, Rs 1,350 public notice, Rs 250 per alias | Revised each financial year; non-refundable; a higher rate abroad |
| Tracked post to Delhi | At actual cost | Speed Post or Registered |
| A returned file | The Government fee again, plus fresh papers where they aged | About six weeks lost |
| Our charge | Quoted per case; the Government fee is always a separate line | Full bill on the cost page |
The Mistake on Each Document That Returns a Gazette File From Jharkhand
On the papers
- Affidavit signed in the new name, or a photocopy sent instead of the original.
- Newspaper cuttings instead of full pages; a notice dated before the affidavit; the two notices worded differently.
- Proforma handwritten; one witness; a witness without a pin code; signed in the new name; the wrong proforma for the case.
- CD as a PDF; the witness portion left in; the certificate unsigned.
- Letter without the receipt number, or signed by someone other than the applicant.
Across the file
- The new name spelt differently on two papers, even by one letter or a space.
- Two different addresses or pin codes across the papers.
- A paper older than about a year.
- The fee paid for the wrong case, adult for a minor or change for a public notice.
- A demand draft or cash in the envelope instead of the receipt.
Gazette Document Terms Explained for Jharkhand
- Affidavit for change of name
- The sworn declaration on stamp paper, notarised at the district court, that fixes the old and new names and the reason.
- Verification clause
- The affidavit's closing statement that its contents are true, sworn at a place on a date.
- Complete newspaper page
- The whole page carrying the notice with the masthead and date, the only form the Department accepts; a cutting is not.
- Proforma
- The Department of Publication's specimen form, headed "No. ADVT IV /", in two copies, typed, signed in the old name with two witnesses.
- Witness
- An adult who signs the proforma with full name, father's name, full address with pin code and signature, and whose Aadhaar copy is enclosed.
- CD
- The compact disc carrying the notice in Word without the witness portion, the old name typed for the signature.
- Same-contents certificate
- The applicant's signed statement that the CD's soft copy and the paper hard copy are the same.
- Request letter
- The covering letter to the Controller of Publications listing the enclosures and quoting the BharatKosh receipt.
- BharatKosh receipt
- The printed proof of the Government fee, paid in the old name; the only form of payment.
- Self-attested
- A copy signed by its own holder, in the old name for the applicant.
- Guardian's undertaking
- The parent's or guardian's signed statement in a minor's file that the change is in the child's interest and made by the guardian.
- Departmental deed
- The plain-paper deed of change of name for a Government employee, witnessed by two gazetted officers of the same department under the MHA memorandum of 12 March 1987.
Gazette File Preparation in All 24 Districts of Jharkhand
Send the five papers before you post them
Scan all five and the receipt; the first reply says which paper would return the file and what to fix. If you are starting from nothing, we send the drafts for the affidavit, the notice, the proforma and the letter with the exact wording in both scripts. Details on the contact page.
- 📞Call 9540005002
Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM - WhatsApp 9540005064
Send your scans here, it is the fastest way - ✉️info@jharkhandnamechange.com
- 📍Ranchi office: Main Building, Near Shaheed Chowk, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834001
- 🏛️Head office (Gazette filing desk): Metro Pillar No. 377, Near Burari Metro Station, Shop No. B-1, Ground Floor, Gali No. 1, Khasra No. 31/12, Hardev Nagar, Jharoda Majra, Burari, Delhi 110084
Documents Required for Gazette Name Change in Jharkhand: Frequently Asked Questions
What documents are required for a gazette name change in Jharkhand?
Is a demand draft required?
What stamp paper is the affidavit on?
Do I need one newspaper or two?
Who can be a witness on the proforma?
What goes on the CD?
What extra documents does a minor's file need?
Do I need a marriage certificate or a decree in the file?
Do I need a "no pending court case" affidavit or a police report?
How old can the documents be?
Where in Jharkhand is each paper made?
What is the commonest reason a file from Jharkhand is returned?
Does the Jharkhand Gazette need any document from me?
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Official Sources for Gazette Name Change Documents
- Department of Publication, Government of IndiaThe guidelines, the change-of-name and minor specimens, the public-notice proforma and the fee list.
- BharatKoshWhere the fee is paid and the receipt printed.
- The Gazette of India, e-Gazette portalWhere the published notice is downloaded free.
- Unique Identification Authority of IndiaWhich name changes need a gazette at all.
- India PostTracked post for the envelope to Civil Lines.
- e-Gazette Jharkhand, Finance DepartmentThe State journal, which has no form for this file.
Documents Required for Gazette Name Change in Jharkhand in Eight Lines
The short version
- Five papers: the affidavit in original, two complete newspaper pages, the proforma in two copies, the CD with its certificate, the request letter.
- Three enclosures: the BharatKosh receipt, two self-attested photographs, self-attested IDs of the applicant and both witnesses.
- One spelling of the new name across all five; every signature in the old name.
- Two witnesses with full addresses and pin codes; full pages, not cuttings; Word, not PDF; typed, not handwritten.
- A minor adds the guardian's undertaking and both photographs; a public notice adds the certificates it names; abroad adds mission attestation; a Government employee adds the departmental deed.
- Never a draft, a "no pending case" affidavit, a lawyer, address proof beyond Aadhaar, or anything from the Jharkhand Gazette.
- Nothing older than about a year; nothing returned; scan before sealing.
- Each paper is made in your district; the envelope goes to Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, in your name.
Five papers, checked against each other, and a file that does not come back
Send the scans on WhatsApp and hear which paper would return the file.