Change of religion and change of name are two separate Gazette categories • Religion first, then name, in one newspaper advertisement • Jharkhand law adds its own permission and intimation

Name Change After Religion Conversion in Jharkhand: Gazette, Certificate and State Rules

When you change your religion and take a new name, you are dealing with two things, not one. The Department of Publication, which publishes the Gazette of India, keeps change of religion as its own category, separate from change of name. Its own undertaking says "Change of religion should be done before Change of name from one religion to name of another religion." It also says "Both the advertisement for change of religion and change of name should be given in the newspaper in one advertisement only." The conversion certificate it accepts "must be only from the Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or from the Church". And in Jharkhand there is a second layer: the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2017 says the person performing a conversion "shall take prior permission for such proposed conversion from the District Magistrate", and the person converted "shall send intimation to the District Magistrate". This page puts all of it in order.

📞 Call 9540005002 WhatsApp 9540005064 See the right order

2Separate Gazette categories, change of religion and change of name

1Newspaper advertisement carrying both, as the Department asks

5Places of worship a conversion certificate may come from

7Days to intimate the District Magistrate, under the State rules as we read them

Reviewed by the Jharkhandnamechange.com documentation desk • Updated 27 September 2026

Quick answer

Five points, in the order you will need them. First, know that there are two Gazette categories. The Department of Publication has separate guidelines for change of religion and for change of name, and a person who converts and takes a new name is dealing with both. Second, do them in the right order. The Department's undertaking says "Change of religion should be done before Change of name from one religion to name of another religion", and that both "should be given in the newspaper in one advertisement only." Third, get the right conversion certificate. It "must be only from the Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or from the Church", with a registration number, stamp, date of conversion and the name details with address, and the Department says the newspaper and the conversion certificate "must be from the concerned state as per address", so from Jharkhand if you live in Jharkhand. Fourth, remember the State law. Under section 5 of the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2017, the person performing the conversion must take prior permission from the District Magistrate, and the person converted must send intimation to the District Magistrate; the Rules, as we read them, give seven days for the intimation. Fifth, if you only want a name from another religion without converting, you do not file a change of religion at all; you file a change of name with an undertaking that you are not changing your religion, and the Department's guidelines print Rs 1,100 plus Rs 250 for that, for the financial year 2016 to 2017. All Gazette charges are revised each financial year; the amount BharatKosh shows on the day is the one that counts.

The first thing to understand

Change of Religion and Change of Name: Two Separate Gazette Categories

Name change after religion conversion in Jharkhand, Gazette and conversion certificate — Two notices, one newspaper advertisement, and a certificate from a place of worship in your own state.

Most people think of it as one job: "I converted, so I need my new name in the Gazette." The Department of Publication sees it as two. It publishes separate guidelines headed "GUIDELINES FOR ADVERTISEMENT BY INDIVIDUALS IN THE WEEKLY GAZETTE OF INDIA, PART IV REGARDING CHANGE OF RELIGION", apart from its guidelines for change of name.

The change of religion notice declares the religion. Its proforma reads: "do hereby solemnly affirm and declare that I have embraced _______________ and renounced ______________________ with effect from". The change of name notice declares the name. A person who converts and also takes a new name is, in the Department's eyes, making both declarations.

Which Gazette category fits which situation after a religion conversion
Your situation	What it usually means for the Gazette
You converted and took a new name	Both declarations, religion first and name after, in one newspaper advertisement
You converted and kept your name	Change of religion only. No change of name notice is needed for a name that has not changed
You want a name from another religion but have not converted	Change of name only, with an undertaking that you are not changing your religion. See a new name without changing religion
Your name is only spelt differently in your records	Neither. That is a correction, not a conversion. See Mohammad, Mohd and Md
You are returning to the religion of your birth	The Department's guidelines we read make no separate rule for this, so treat it as a change of religion

Why we tell you this even though we publish these notices. Two categories can sound like two fees. But if your name has not changed, you do not need a change of name notice, and if you have not converted, you do not need a change of religion notice. Buy only the declaration that is true for you. For how the name categories differ from each other, see name correction against name change.

The order decides whether it holds

Religion First, Then Name: The Right Order for a Name Change After Conversion

The Department's own undertaking for change of name is clear on the order. "Change of religion should be done before Change of name from one religion to name of another religion."

It also says how the newspaper should carry it. "Both the advertisement for change of religion and change of name should be given in the newspaper in one advertisement only." So you do not publish twice in the paper. One advertisement declares the new religion and the new name together.

And the change of name guidelines add one more line. "In case the individual applies change of religion he/she must declare the same in the leading newspaper as well as in the UNDERTAKING." So the conversion has to appear in two places: the newspaper advertisement and the undertaking you sign.

The right order for religion conversion and name change paperwork
Order	What happens
1. The conversion itself	Performed by the person who conducts it, with prior permission from the District Magistrate under the Jharkhand Act
2. Intimation to the District Magistrate	By the person converted, within seven days under the Rules as we read them
3. The conversion certificate	From the Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or Church, with registration number, stamp and date
4. One newspaper advertisement	Declaring both the religion and the name, in a leading paper of your state
5. The Gazette file	Change of religion, and change of name if the name changed, religion first
6. Your other records	Aadhaar first, then PAN, bank and the rest, only after the notice is published

Why the order matters in real life. A change of name notice that moves you from a name of one religion to a name of another, published before any change of religion, leaves your records saying two different things. The Department's rule avoids that, and following it means the newspaper, the undertaking and the two notices all tell the same story.

The paper that proves the conversion

Conversion Certificate for Gazette Change of Religion in Jharkhand

The change of religion file needs proof that the conversion happened. The Department says exactly where that proof may come from. "Conversion certificate must be only from the Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or from the Church."

It also says what the certificate must carry: a registration number, a stamp, the date of conversion, and the name details with address. And it adds a line that matters for anybody living in Jharkhand. "In this regard Newspaper and conversion certificate must be from the concerned state as per address."

What a conversion certificate must carry for the Gazette of India
What to check on the certificate	Why
Issued by a Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or Church	"must be only from" these, in the Department's words. Not from a notary, an agent or a private trust letterhead
A registration number	Named in the Department's requirements
A stamp	Named in the Department's requirements
The date of conversion	The same date goes into your undertaking and the proforma's "with effect from"
Your name details and address	Must match the proforma and your identity proof
From your own state	"must be from the concerned state as per address". If your address is in Jharkhand, the certificate and the newspaper should be from Jharkhand

The mistake that sends files back. A certificate from a place of worship in another state, sent with a Jharkhand address. Or a newspaper printed in Delhi while the proforma gives a Ranchi address. The Department ties both to the state of your address. If you moved recently, settle which address goes on the proforma first, and let the certificate and the newspaper follow it. For how to word and place the advertisement, see newspaper advertisement in Jharkhand.

The Jharkhand layer

Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act 2017: Permission and Intimation Before Your Name Change

The Gazette is a Central Government publication, but the conversion itself happens in Jharkhand, and Jharkhand has its own law on it. The Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2017 defines conversion as "renouncing one religion and adopting another", and section 5 puts two duties on two different people.

The two duties under section 5 of the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act 2017
Who	What the Act says
The person who performs the conversion	Section 5(1): "shall take prior permission for such proposed conversion from the District Magistrate". The Rules, as we read them, say this notice is given in Form A, 15 days before the conversion
The person who is converted	Section 5(2): "shall send intimation to the District Magistrate of the District concerned... of the fact of such conversion". The Rules, as we read them, say within seven days, in Form C, to the District Magistrate of the district where the ceremony took place
If either is not done	Section 5(3): failure "without sufficient cause" may be punished with imprisonment up to one year, or a fine up to Rs 5,000, or both

In Jharkhand, the District Magistrate is the Deputy Commissioner of your district. So in practice these papers go to the Deputy Commissioner's office in Ranchi, Dhanbad, Bokaro or wherever the conversion ceremony took place.

What this means for your Gazette file. The Department of Publication's guidelines we read do not list the District Magistrate's permission or your intimation among the Gazette papers. But the State law applies to the conversion regardless, and a conversion done without it can be questioned later, by an employer, a court or any office that reads your notice closely. Keep a copy of the permission and of your intimation with your conversion certificate. Section 3 of the Act also forbids conversion "by the use of force or by allurement or by any fraudulent means". We do not advise on whether a particular conversion meets the Act; for that, speak to an advocate.

One more consequence people miss: the caste certificate. As reported by All India Radio on 24 March 2026, the Supreme Court held that Scheduled Caste status is limited to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, and that "Conversion to any other religion, such as Christianity, results in the immediate and complete loss of Scheduled Caste status." So a Scheduled Caste certificate in your old name is not simply a name to update after conversion. We print no rule on Scheduled Tribe status here, because the report we read does not decide it. For ordinary caste certificate corrections, see caste certificate name correction.

When there is no conversion

Adopting a Name of Another Religion Without Changing Religion

Some people want a name, or a surname, that belongs to another religion, without converting. The Department has a rule for exactly this. "If an individual applies to adopt the name/ surname of any other religion without changing his/her existing religion then, he/she must submit an Undertaking", in which "He/she confirms that he/she is not changing his/her religion".

The undertaking for change of name adds that the declaration must appear in the newspaper and also in the undertaking or affidavit. And the guidelines print the charge: "The cost of such type of advertisement will be Rs 1100/-+Rs 250/-= 1350/-", for the financial year 2016 to 2017.

Converting and taking a new name compared with taking a name of another religion without converting
Point	Converted and took a new name	New name only, no conversion
Gazette categories	Change of religion, then change of name	Change of name only
What you declare	That you "have embraced" one religion and "renounced" another	That you are "not changing" your religion
Conversion certificate	Needed, from a place of worship	Not needed
Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act	Applies to the conversion	No conversion, so section 5 does not arise
Printed charge, 2016 to 2017	Change of religion printed at Rs 1,400; change of name at Rs 1,100	Rs 1,100 plus Rs 250, Rs 1,350

Be sure which of the two you are. Declaring a conversion that did not happen, or declaring no conversion when there was one, puts a false statement into a signed undertaking and a Government publication. Decide first, honestly, and the paperwork follows. For removing a surname linked to a caste or community, see removing a surname or caste name.

Do it in this order

How to Change Your Name After Religion Conversion in Jharkhand, Step by Step

Decide what actually changed

Religion, name, or both. Only declare what is true. A name of another religion without converting is a change of name only.

Make sure the conversion followed the Jharkhand Act

Prior permission from the District Magistrate, taken by the person performing it, under section 5(1).

Send your own intimation to the District Magistrate

Under section 5(2). Within seven days, in Form C, under the Rules as we read them. Keep a copy.

Get the conversion certificate

From the Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or Church, with registration number, stamp, date of conversion, name and address.

Settle the new name letter by letter

Before anything is printed. The same spelling goes everywhere from here on.

Publish one newspaper advertisement

Declaring both the religion and the name, in a leading paper of Jharkhand if your address is in Jharkhand.

Sign the undertaking

Declaring the conversion, with the date, as the Department asks.

File change of religion, and change of name if needed

Religion first. Pay only through BharatKosh and read the amount on the day.

Check the notice when it publishes

Every word, then download the e-Gazette copy.

Update your records in order

Aadhaar first, then PAN, bank, passport and the rest. Treat a caste certificate separately.

The one rule that holds the whole job together. Every paper must tell the same story: the certificate, the intimation, the newspaper, the undertaking and the two notices should carry the same old name, the same new name, the same date and the same address. Most returned files we see break on one of those four.

The full process

Central Gazette Process for a Name From Jharkhand, and Where Change of Religion Fits

Read this before the rest of this section, because a change of religion is its own category with its own papers. The steps below are written for a change of name. A change of religion file uses the Department's change of religion proforma, the one that reads "I have embraced _______________ and renounced ______________________ with effect from", and adds the conversion certificate from a Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or Church. Religion is filed first, then the name, and the newspaper carries both in one advertisement. It is printed in full so you can see where each paper fits, and so you recognise at once when you are being sold a notice you do not need, such as a change of name for a name that has not changed.

No district in Jharkhand has a gazette counter, so a genuine file goes from Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Deoghar or anywhere else in the state to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, and the notice publishes in Part IV of the Gazette of India. As reported in July 2025 the Finance Department stopped personal name change notifications from the Jharkhand Government Press with immediate effect, so there is no state alternative to fall back on.

The Eight Steps of a Name File Sent From Jharkhand

Settle the final name first

Letter by letter, with the spacing you want, and then use exactly that everywhere, Aadhaar included. A corrigendum after publication is a second fee and a second wait.

Pick the category, then its proforma

A genuine change of name is change of Name Adult or Major. A wrongly typed spelling is the public notice for a wrongly written name. Twelve categories exist and only one is yours.

Type the proforma in duplicate

Two originals with two witnesses giving signature, full name, address and mobile number on both copies. A change of name is signed in the old name; a public notice is signed in your own name.

Fill the employment field if it is a change of name

The adult proforma asks for the post of the applicant and the office or company name. A student or a homemaker should still complete it rather than leaving it blank, because a blank field brings the file back.

Publish and keep the original paper

One of the daily local leading newspapers, carrying both names in full, the father or husband name and the residential address. The whole original paper goes in the file, not a cutting.

Pay only through BharatKosh

The Non Tax Receipt Portal and nowhere else since October 2018. Select the Department of Publication by name, read the amount the portal shows on the day, pay in your own name and print the e-receipt.

Check every date, then post it yourself

Nothing in the file older than one year. Personally or by post or courier only, never through an agent or advocate. Photocopy everything first, because nothing sent in comes back.

Read the notice, then update in the right order

Check every word the day it publishes, download the e-Gazette copy, and then update the Aadhaar first, because the system leverages it for unique identification, and let the PAN, the bank account and any investment records follow after it in that order. Keep the conversion certificate and your intimation with the notice, because offices may ask for all three together.

The Five Papers in the File, and What Is Checked in Each

The five papers of a Central Gazette name file from Jharkhand and what the Department checks in each
The paper	What is checked in it, clause by clause
1. The proforma, in duplicate	That it is the right category format; the existing full name exactly as your documents carry it; the new full name exactly as settled; the father or husband name; the full address with pin code; the post and office or company name where it is a change of name; the signature in the right name for the category; two witnesses complete with signature, full name, address and mobile number
2. The affidavit or undertaking	The same names and address as the proforma, word for word, with wording matching the category. On Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper as our safe default
3. The original newspaper	The original paper, not a cutting; the paper name and date of publication visible; both names carried; the father or husband name and residential address; dated within the last year
4. Photographs, identity proof and any category paper	Two self attested passport photographs; self attested identity and address proof matching the proforma address; both witnesses proofs; and, in a public notice file, the attested photocopy of the connected document carrying the error
5. The CD, its certificate and the BharatKosh receipt	MS Word, without the witness portion, with the name typed in place of the signature; the certificate that the hard copy and the soft copy are the same; the forwarding letter to the Controller of Publication with a telephone number and email; the e-receipt

The proforma is where files are lost, and there are twelve to choose from. A wrongly typed spelling filed on the change of name form declares henceforth be known as, claiming a change you never made. The Government charge already paid is not refunded, because BharatKosh payments are non-refundable. You then have six months to make good a shortcoming the Department points out, after which a fresh application with all new documents is required.

What to select on BharatKosh, field by field. Pay to the Department of Publication under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and pick the Ministry, the Pay and Accounts Office and the Drawing and Disbursing Officer by their names in the dropdown, never by a code copied off a website. The codes printed for this office on different websites do not agree with each other, and money paid into the wrong head cannot be traced to your file. Read the amount on the portal on the day you pay, because it is revised each financial year.

What a Gazette notice will not do after a conversion. It will not stand in for the District Magistrate's permission or your intimation under the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act, and it will not carry a Scheduled Caste certificate across to a religion the Supreme Court has said it does not cover. Since we publish these notices, the honest version is this: file only the declaration that is true for you, religion, name or both, and nothing more. Our name correction against name change page explains the difference between the name categories.

The posting detail is on the sending the file to Delhi page, the change of name wording on the proforma format page and the public notice wording on the public notice proforma page, the charge by category on the fee and undertaking page, the reasons files come back on the rejection reasons page, and the download on the download page.

Money, plainly

Gazette Fee for Change of Religion and Name Change in Jharkhand

The figures below are the ones the Department of Publication's guidelines print, for the financial year 2016 to 2017. They are revised each financial year, so treat them as the order of the amount, not the amount. What BharatKosh shows on the payment screen the day you pay is the figure that counts.

Gazette charges printed in the Department of Publication guidelines for religion and name notices
Item	What we can and cannot tell you
Change of religion notice	Printed as "Rs.1400/- w.e.f. 01.04.2016 to 31.03.2017"
Change of name notice, adult	Printed as Rs 1,100 for 2016 to 2017
Name of another religion without converting	Printed as "Rs 1100/-+Rs 250/-= 1350/-"
The newspaper advertisement	One advertisement carrying both, as the Department asks. Charged by the paper; we print no figure
Conversion certificate	Issued by the place of worship. We print no figure
Intimation to the District Magistrate	The Act and Rules we read mention no fee
What we charge	Quoted on the call. If you need only one notice, we quote for one

The mistake that costs the most. Filing a change of name first and a change of religion afterwards, and then paying a corrigendum or a fresh notice to put the order right. BharatKosh payments are not refunded. Religion first, name second, one newspaper advertisement, and the job is paid for once. For how to pay, see BharatKosh payment.

Myths we correct most often

Myths About Name Change After Religion Conversion

Common beliefs about name change after religion conversion and what is actually so
What people believe	What is actually so
A change of name notice also records my new religion	Change of religion is a separate category with its own proforma
The order does not matter	"Change of religion should be done before Change of name", in the Department's words
I need two newspaper advertisements	"in one advertisement only"
A notarised affidavit proves the conversion	The certificate "must be only from the Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or from the Church"
Any place of worship in India will do	"must be from the concerned state as per address"
The Gazette notice is all the law needs	In Jharkhand, section 5 of the 2017 Act also requires permission and intimation
I must convert to take a name of another religion	No. File a change of name with an undertaking that you are not changing your religion
If I converted, I must also change my name	No. If the name stays, only the change of religion notice is needed
My caste certificate just needs the new name	The Supreme Court has held SC status is limited to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, as reported in March 2026
The Jharkhand Government Press can publish it	Personal name notices there were stopped in July 2025, as reported
The fee is fixed	Revised each financial year; read BharatKosh on the day

The habit that protects you from all eleven. Ask which published sentence requires the thing being demanded. Apply it to any agent, and to this page. The Department's guidelines and the Jharkhand Act are quoted in their own words, and where we read a copy on another publisher's site, the page says so.

Plain meanings

Key Terms in Religion Conversion and Gazette Name Change

Key terms used in religion conversion and Gazette name change
Term	What it means in practice
Conversion	In the Jharkhand Act, "renouncing one religion and adopting another"
Change of religion notice	The Gazette of India, Part IV, notice declaring the religion you "embraced" and "renounced"
Change of name notice	The separate Part IV notice declaring your new name
Conversion certificate	Proof of conversion from a Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or Church
Undertaking	The signed statement in the file, where the conversion must also be declared
Prior permission	What the person performing a conversion must take from the District Magistrate, under section 5(1)
Intimation	What the person converted must send the District Magistrate, under section 5(2)
District Magistrate	In Jharkhand, the Deputy Commissioner of the district
Form A and Form C	The permission notice and the intimation, under the 2017 Rules as we read them
Allurement	In the Act, an offer of "gift or gratification either in cash or kind" or other benefit, which the Act forbids as a means of conversion
BharatKosh	The only portal for paying the Gazette charge
Part IV	The part of the Gazette of India where personal notices are published

Coverage

Name Change After Religion Conversion Help Across Jharkhand

Most religion conversion files we see go wrong on order, not on paperwork. We check your conversion certificate, your intimation and the name you want, and tell you which Gazette category you actually need: change of religion, change of name, or both, and in what order. We draft the single newspaper advertisement and the undertakings. What we will not do is sell you a change of name notice for a name that has not changed, or advise on whether a conversion meets the Jharkhand Act, which is a question for an advocate. We help people across Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Deoghar and every other district, on scans over WhatsApp.

RanchiJamshedpurDhanbadBokaroHazaribaghDeogharGiridihRamgarhDumkaChaibasaMedininagarChatraKodermaGarhwaLateharGumlaLohardagaSimdegaKhuntiGoddaSahibganjPakurJamtaraSaraikela

District pages are linked from the services page.

Send your conversion certificate and the name you want

Send your conversion certificate first, then a copy of your intimation to the District Magistrate if you have it, your Aadhaar, and the new name spelt exactly as you want it. Tell us in one line whether your name is changing too, or only your religion, and whether you hold a caste certificate. Our first reply tells you which Gazette category you need and in what order. If you only need one notice, we will tell you that and not sell you two. Details on the contact page.

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📍Ranchi office: Main Building, Near Shaheed Chowk, Ranchi, Jharkhand 834001
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FAQ

Name Change After Religion Conversion: Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a Gazette notice to change my name after religion conversion?+

If your name changed, yes, and a change of religion notice too. The Department of Publication keeps change of religion and change of name as separate categories. If you converted but kept your name, only the change of religion notice is needed.

Which comes first, change of religion or change of name?+

Religion first. The Department's undertaking says "Change of religion should be done before Change of name from one religion to name of another religion."

Do I need two newspaper advertisements?+

No. The Department says "Both the advertisement for change of religion and change of name should be given in the newspaper in one advertisement only." See our newspaper advertisement page.

Who can issue a conversion certificate?+

The Department says it "must be only from the Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or from the Church", carrying a registration number, a stamp, the date of conversion, and the name details with address.

Can I use a conversion certificate from another state?+

Not if your address is in Jharkhand. The Department says "Newspaper and conversion certificate must be from the concerned state as per address."

What does the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act require?+

Section 5(1) says the person performing a conversion "shall take prior permission for such proposed conversion from the District Magistrate". Section 5(2) says the person converted "shall send intimation to the District Magistrate". Failing either without sufficient cause can bring up to one year's imprisonment, a fine up to Rs 5,000, or both.

How many days do I have to inform the District Magistrate?+

Seven days from the conversion, in Form C, under the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Rules, 2017 as we read them on a legal publisher's site. The same Rules ask the person performing the conversion to give notice in Form A 15 days before. Check the current Rules at the Deputy Commissioner's office.

Can I take a Muslim, Hindu or Christian name without converting?+

Yes. The Department says a person adopting "the name/ surname of any other religion without changing his/her existing religion" must submit an undertaking confirming "he/she is not changing his/her religion", and declare it in the newspaper too. No change of religion notice is filed.

What is the Gazette fee for change of religion?+

The guidelines print Rs 1,400 for a change of religion for 2016 to 2017, Rs 1,100 for a change of name, and Rs 1,350 for a name of another religion without converting. All are revised each financial year; the amount on BharatKosh on the day is the one that counts.

Will my Scheduled Caste certificate still be valid after conversion?+

As reported by All India Radio on 24 March 2026, the Supreme Court held that Scheduled Caste status is limited to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, and that conversion to any other religion "results in the immediate and complete loss of Scheduled Caste status." Speak to an advocate before relying on an old certificate.

Can the Jharkhand Government Press publish my change of religion?+

Not now. As reported in July 2025, the Finance Department stopped personal name change notifications from the Jharkhand Government Press with immediate effect. The route is the Gazette of India, Part IV, through the Department of Publication in Delhi. See Jharkhand Gazette against Gazette of India.

How much of this can you do for us?+

The Gazette side. We tell you which categories you need and in what order, draft the single newspaper advertisement, the undertakings and the proformas, and check the file before you send it. We do not perform conversions, do not deal with the District Magistrate on your behalf, and do not advise on whether a conversion meets the Jharkhand Act; that is for an advocate.

Who wrote and checked this page

Written and maintained by the Jharkhandnamechange.com documentation desk, led by founder Vipin Chauhan, B.Tech LL.B, with 5+ years filing with the Department of Publication. The Gazette rules on this page are quoted from the Department of Publication's own documents: its guidelines for change of religion, with the proforma wording, the list of papers, the conversion certificate rule and the Rs 1,400 printed charge; its guidelines for change of name of an adult, with the rule on adopting a name of another religion without converting and the Rs 1,350 charge; and its undertaking for change of name, with the sentences on doing religion before name and on one newspaper advertisement. The State law is quoted from the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2017, sections 2, 3 and 5, read on a copy published by PRS Legislative Research. Three limits are declared openly on the page itself rather than buried here. First, we read the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Rules, 2017 on a legal publisher's site, not on a Government site, so the seven days, the 15 days and the form letters are given "as we read them". Second, the Supreme Court's March 2026 ruling on Scheduled Caste status is taken from an All India Radio news report, not the judgment itself. Third, every Gazette figure is the one printed for 2016 to 2017 and is revised each financial year. We are a documentation consultancy and not advocates, not a religious body, not the District Magistrate, and not the Department of Publication. We do not perform or advise on conversions. Who we are is on the about page.

Last reviewed 27 September 2026 • 9540005002 • info@jharkhandnamechange.com • Jharkhandnamechange.com is a private documentation consultancy and is not the Department of Publication, the Controller of Publication, any District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner, any place of worship, any court, a law firm or any Government office. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Verify it yourself

Official Sources on Change of Religion and Name Change

Sources used for the name change after religion conversion page
Source	What it is used for on this page
Department of Publication, guidelines for change of religion	The most important source on this page. The proforma wording, the papers, the conversion certificate rule, the same-state rule, and the printed charge
Department of Publication, guidelines for change of name of an adult	Adopting a name of another religion without converting, the undertaking, and Rs 1,100 plus Rs 250
Department of Publication, undertaking for change of name	"Change of religion should be done before Change of name", and one newspaper advertisement for both
The Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2017, as published by PRS Legislative Research	The definition of conversion; section 3; and section 5 on permission and intimation
What we read on a secondary source only	The Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Rules, 2017, on a legal publisher's site, for the seven days, the 15 days and Forms A and C; and the Supreme Court's March 2026 ruling, from an All India Radio report
Our other pages on the neighbouring questions	The Gazette route on the Gazette name change page; the categories on correction against change; the charges on time and fees

Why this page quotes the Department and the Act rather than an agent's website. Many pages on this subject describe change of religion as a single notice, or leave out the Jharkhand Act altogether. The Department's words and the Act's words are the only ones that bind anybody, so ask any adviser which published sentence their advice rests on.

Quick Summary

Name Change After Religion Conversion in Nine Lines

The short version

Change of religion and change of name are two Gazette categories.
File the change of religion first, then the name.
Put both in one newspaper advertisement.
The conversion certificate must come from a place of worship.
The certificate and newspaper must be from your own state.
In Jharkhand, the conversion needs the District Magistrate's prior permission.
The person converted must also send intimation to the District Magistrate.
A name of another religion without converting needs only a change of name.
Fees are revised each year; read BharatKosh on the day.

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