Removing a Surname or Caste Name in Jharkhand
There is no category called removal of surname. The Department of Publication publishes twelve guideline categories and not one of them is about taking a surname away, so your file has to go in under the category that matches what replaces it. If another surname takes its place, that is adopting a different surname, and those guidelines ask for an affidavit attested by a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area, not a notary. If nothing takes its place and you go to a single name, your full name has changed and it is a change of name for an adult. And the fear that brings most people to this page has a clear answer: the Bombay High Court held in 2016 that if the surname is changed, that does not change the caste of a person.
You cannot apply to remove a surname, because the Department of Publication has no such category. It publishes twelve guideline categories and your file must go in under the one that matches what the name becomes. If a different surname takes the old one's place, the adopting different surname guidelines apply, and those ask for an affidavit attested by a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area, which is a step above the notary most people arrange. If nothing takes its place and you want to live with a single name, the full name has changed and the change of name for an adult or major proforma is the right one. On the caste question, the answer is settled and it is in your favour. On 23 May 2016 a Bombay High Court bench of Justices Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi and B R Gavai, hearing the case of a medical graduate who had been refused a Scheduled Tribe quota seat because he had changed his surname from Sapkale to Bhardwaj through the Maharashtra Government Gazette in 1999, observed that if the surname is changed, that does not change caste of a person, and directed that his claim be considered from the reserved category so long as he held a valid caste certificate and the government notification recording the name change. That last part is the practical lesson of this page. Removing a caste surname does not take your caste away, but from the day it publishes, the gazette notification is the paper that joins your old name to your new one, and every office that sees the two names will ask for it.
Four Different Things People Mean by Removing a Surname
People who call us about removing a surname are not all asking for the same thing. Before anything is typed, work out which of these four is yours, because the route, the category and the cost are different in each.
| What you want | Example | The route it takes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Replace the surname with a different one | Ramesh Kumar Oraon becomes Ramesh Kumar Bharti | Gazette, under adopting different surname. This is the one that asks for a First Class Magistrate |
| 2. Drop it completely and keep one name | Ramesh Kumar Oraon becomes Ramesh | Gazette, under change of name for an adult or major, because the full name has changed. Read the single name section first |
| 3. Drop one word from a two word surname | Ramesh Kumar Oraon becomes Ramesh Kumar | Depends on what the school record says. If the record never had that word it is a correction; if it did, it is a change of name |
| 4. A caste word was added later and was never in your record | The Class 10 certificate says Ramesh Kumar, the Aadhaar says Ramesh Kumar Oraon | This is not a removal at all. It is a correction in the later record, and often a public notice rather than a change of name |
The fourth row catches more people than you would expect. A caste word that a clerk or a family member added to an Aadhaar enrolment form, or that a bank wrote in because it appeared on an address proof, was never part of your legal name. Publishing a change of name to undo it tells every office that you once had that name, which is the opposite of what you wanted. Where the wrong version has already gone into several certificates, the instrument is usually a public notice for a wrongly written name, which prints both versions and states which one is correct.
Rows one and two are genuine changes of name and this page is about them. Row three sits in between, and the test in the tip box above is what decides it.
Does Removing a Caste Surname Change Your Caste or Your Reservation
This is the question behind almost every call. A young person in Ranchi or Gumla wants to drop a caste surname because of what it invites at a job interview or in a hostel, and the family says no, you will lose the certificate. The answer, in law, is that the caste stays.
Read the direction carefully, because it is the working rule and not just a comfort. The court did not say the surname is irrelevant paperwork. It said the claim must be considered provided he had both papers, the caste certificate and the gazette notification. That is the whole of your job from the day your notice publishes.
Why Your Caste Certificate Does Not Depend on the Surname
A caste certificate in Jharkhand is issued on the basis of the family's record in the revenue and community records, the parents' and grandparents' entries, and the residence of the family, not on the sound of the surname. Two people with the same surname can hold certificates of two different categories, and people of the same community carry different surnames across districts. The office that issues the certificate goes to the record, so a change in what you are called does not reach that record.
What You Must Carry After the Surname Is Removed
The caste certificate itself
In the old name, and it stays valid in the old name. Do not rush to get it reissued unless an office asks in writing.
The gazette notification
The published page carrying both names. This is the paper that proves the person in the certificate and the person in the application are the same.
A one and the same person affidavit
Not a legal requirement, but many admission and recruitment offices ask for it alongside the gazette, and it costs little.
One more honest point. Removing a caste surname does not remove caste from a form. Every scholarship, recruitment and admission form in Jharkhand still asks for the category, and you still answer it from the certificate. What the change does is take the caste out of the name that people read first, which for many applicants is the entire reason they want it. That is a real gain and it is a lawful one, but it is worth knowing exactly how far it goes before you spend anything.
If the caste word in your name is a tribal surname that has simply been spelt differently across your papers, such as the same name written two ways in the school register and the Aadhaar, that is a spelling matter and not a removal. It goes through our tribal surname spelling correction page instead.
Dropping the Surname Completely and Living With a Single Name
Some people do not want to swap one surname for another. They want to be Ramesh, and nothing after it. This is lawful in India, a great many people live this way, and no rule compels anybody to carry a surname. But it is the one route on this page where we tell people to slow down, because the practical cost is real and it lands abroad.
What a Single Name Looks Like on an Indian Passport
The passport instruction booklet deals with this directly. An applicant who does not use a surname leaves the Surname column blank and writes the full name in the Given Name column. Initials are not allowed. So a single name is not a defect in the eyes of the passport office, and the booklet plans for it.
Inside India a single name causes fewer problems than people fear, but it causes some. Forms with separate first name and last name boxes, bank and mutual fund systems that will not accept a blank last name, and airline bookings that copy the passport exactly are where it shows up. Many systems are handled by repeating the single name in both boxes, and some offices write the letters NA or a dot, which then creates a fresh mismatch of its own.
The Reverse Journey, and Why We Mention It
Our adding a surname to a single name page exists because a steady stream of people in Jharkhand need to do the opposite of this, usually under pressure and usually in a hurry, and it costs them a gazette file and about two months. Read that page before you choose a single name. If after reading it you still want one, the route is straightforward and it is set out below.
Which Gazette Category Your Surname Removal File Goes Under
Open the Department of Publication's guidelines list and you will find twelve categories. Read all twelve and you will not find removal of surname, deletion of surname or dropping a caste name. That is not an oversight. From the Department's side, a name either changes or it does not, and taking a word out changes it.
| Your situation | The category to file under | The requirement that catches people |
|---|---|---|
| Another surname takes the old one's place | Guidelines for Adopting different Surname | An affidavit attested by a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area, not a notary |
| No surname at all afterwards, a single name | Guidelines for Change of Name for Adult (Major) | The proforma is signed in your existing old name, and it asks for your post and office |
| A married woman going back to her own family surname | Guidelines for Adopting Maiden Surname | A requirement reported in 2024 that was challenged in court. See the note below |
| The applicant is under eighteen | Guidelines for Change of Name for Minor | Both parents sign, and the minor's own signature is not what carries it |
| The word was never in your own record | No change of name at all | A correction, and often a public notice. Filing a change of name here is a mistake |
The First Class Magistrate Requirement, in Plain Words
Most affidavits in India are sworn before a notary, and for most gazette categories that is enough. The different surname guidelines are the exception. They ask for an affidavit attested by a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area. A Judicial Magistrate First Class sits in the court complex, not in the lane outside the registry office, so this is a planned visit to the district court in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh or wherever your area falls, with the drafted affidavit and your identity proof in hand. Arrange it before you print anything else, because it is the step that decides your timeline. The affidavit wording itself is on our surname change affidavit page.
One thing the guidelines make plain across every category, and it applies to you whichever one you file under. The documents must not be older than one year. An affidavit sworn last year, a newspaper from eighteen months ago or an old identity proof will not carry the file. And nothing you send in comes back, original or photocopy, so keep a full set at home before you post.
The Order to Remove a Surname or Caste Name in Jharkhand
Doing these out of order is what turns a six week job into a six month one. The order below is the one we follow on our own files.
Read your oldest record first
The Class 10 certificate or admit card. What it says decides whether this is a change of name or a correction, and everything after depends on that.
Decide what replaces the surname
A different surname, or nothing at all. This single decision picks your category, your proforma and the level of attestation you need.
Write the final name down, letter by letter
Including spacing. Ramesh Kumar and RameshKumar are two names. Every paper after this point copies what you wrote here.
Get the affidavit attested at the right level
A notary for a change of name, a First Class Magistrate for a different surname. Book the court visit early.
Publish in a newspaper and keep the whole paper
Carrying the old name, the new one, the father's name and the address. The original paper goes in the file, not a cutting.
Pay on BharatKosh and post the file yourself
No agent, advocate, friend or relative may submit it. Personally or by post or courier only.
Read the published notice before relying on it
Check both names letter by letter on the day it publishes, then download the copy and note the page and issue number.
Update records in the right sequence
Aadhaar first, because most offices verify against it, then PAN, bank, and last the education records, which mostly stay in the old name.
File the gazette copy with your caste certificate
Permanently. It is the paper that joins the name on the certificate to the name on every form you will fill from now on.
Which Offices to Update After the Surname Is Removed, and in What Order
The gazette notice is the halfway point, not the finish. What follows is a set of visits and applications in a particular order, because most offices in Jharkhand verify your new name against Aadhaar, and Aadhaar has to move first. Doing it in the wrong order means doing some of it twice.
| Order | Record | What it asks for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aadhaar | The gazette copy, and identity proof. Most other offices check against this one | A fee per attempt with no refund. Get the spelling right the first time. Name updates are limited in number, so do not experiment |
| 2 | PAN card | The gazette copy and the updated Aadhaar. The income tax record and the Aadhaar name should agree | A reprint with the new name. The number itself does not change |
| 3 | Bank and post office accounts | A branch visit with the gazette copy, updated Aadhaar and PAN, and a signature in the new name | Cheque books and cards are reissued. Do this before any large transaction, not after |
| 4 | Voter identity card | The gazette copy with the correction application | Straightforward once Aadhaar is done, and the roll updates at its own pace |
| 5 | Driving licence and vehicle papers | The gazette copy at the district transport office | Both the licence and the registration certificate carry the name, so check both |
| 6 | Passport | A reissue application with the gazette copy. For a single name, the Surname column is left blank | Plan this early if any travel is booked, because the booklet takes its own time |
| 7 | LIC, insurance and investments | The gazette copy with each insurer's own endorsement form | Each company has its own form. A policy in the old name with no endorsement causes trouble at claim time, not before |
| 8 | Employer and service record | The gazette copy through your own office's establishment section | The service book, the provident fund record and the salary account should all move together |
| Leave alone | School, board and university certificates, and the caste certificate | Nothing. They were correct when issued | The gazette copy is what an office wants alongside them. Reissues are slow and often unnecessary |
What to Say When an Office Refuses to Accept the Gazette
It happens, usually at a bank branch or a school office rather than at a Government counter, and usually from a clerk who has not seen a gazette notice before. The answer is not to argue at the counter. Ask for the refusal in writing, addressed to you, saying what is being refused and under which instruction. Three things follow from that request. Most refusals disappear the moment it is made, because nothing is actually being refused under any instruction. Where the refusal stands, you now know the real reason and can answer it. And if it has to go higher, a written refusal is the only thing a grievance office will act on. The same approach is set out on our college refuses a name change despite the gazette page, and it works just as well at a bank.
Central Gazette Process for Removing a Surname From Jharkhand, Step by Step
No district in Jharkhand has a gazette counter, so the 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 Surname Removal File Sent From Jharkhand
Settle the final name first
Write it out letter by letter, with the spacing you want, and then use exactly that in every paper. A corrigendum after publication is a second fee and a second wait.
Pick the category, then its proforma
Adopting a different surname where another surname replaces it, change of name for an adult where nothing does, maiden surname for a married woman, or a public notice where the word was never yours. Twelve categories exist and only one is yours.
Type the proforma in duplicate
Two originals, signed in your existing old name, with two witnesses giving signature, full name, address and mobile number on both copies. The adult form also asks for your post and your office or company.
Get the affidavit attested at the right level
A notary for the ordinary change of name, and a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area where the different surname guidelines apply. This is the step that catches people out.
Publish and keep the original paper
One of the daily local leading newspapers, carrying the old name in full, the new one, the father's or husband's name and the address. The whole original paper goes in the file.
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 download it
Check the old name and the new one letter by letter the day it publishes, note the page and issue number, and download the e-Gazette copy of that Part IV issue.
The Five Papers in the File, and What Is Checked in Each
| The paper | What is checked in it, clause by clause |
|---|---|
| 1. The proforma, in duplicate | That it is the right category's format; the existing full name exactly as your documents carry it, surname included; the new name with the surname gone or replaced; the father's or husband's name; the full address with pin code; the signature in the old name; two witnesses complete with signature, full name, address and mobile number |
| 2. The affidavit or undertaking | Signed by the applicant; the same names and address as the proforma, word for word; attested at the level the category asks for, which is a First Class Magistrate for the different surname route; on Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper as our safe default |
| 3. The original newspaper | The original paper, not a cutting; the paper's name and date of publication visible; the old name and the new one both carried; the same spelling as the proforma; dated within the last year |
| 4. Photographs, identity proof and any category paper | Two self-attested passport photographs; identity and address proof matching the proforma address; both witnesses' proofs; and whatever the category itself demands, such as a decree or a no objection certificate where the maiden surname requirement applies |
| 5. The CD, its certificate and the BharatKosh receipt | MS Word, without the witness portion, the old 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 posting detail is on the sending the file to Delhi page, the wording on the proforma format 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.
What Removing a Surname or Caste Name Costs in Jharkhand
| Item | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Where it is a correction and not a removal | A public notice or an office correction, plus the office fees. No change of name charge at all | A few weeks across the offices |
| Government printing charge | The Department's guidelines print Rs 1,100 for a change of name of an adult or major for the financial year 2016 to 2017, adding that it varies each financial year and from case to case, and Rs 3,500 for an Indian living abroad. The guidelines also show an additional Rs 250 on top of the Rs 1,100 in certain cases, taking that total to Rs 1,350, and the Department publishes a separate note on where additional charges apply. Which case triggers it is not something we will state from a summary, so read the amount on BharatKosh. A public notice is printed at Rs 1,400 for the same year | Part IV publishes weekly, so allow several weeks from posting |
| Affidavit | Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper plus the attestation. A First Class Magistrate attestation for the different surname route costs time more than money | Notary the same day; a magistrate needs a planned court visit |
| Newspaper | Paid to the paper, charged by length | Same week |
| Post or courier to Delhi | Sent in your own name from any district, and keep the receipt | A few days each way |
| Updating the records afterwards | Aadhaar charges a fee per attempt with no refund, and the other offices have their own small charges | Several weeks across all of them |
| Our charge | Quoted on your papers before you pay anything, and confirmed in writing. We print no service price on any page of this site | |
The honest total for a straightforward removal from Jharkhand is the Government charge, the affidavit, the newspaper and the postage, and then several weeks of waiting for Part IV. The cost that surprises people is not any of these. It is the second file, caused by a name settled carelessly at step one, and it is entirely avoidable. Our corrigendum page explains what that second file involves.
Myths About Removing a Surname or Caste Name
| What people believe | What is actually so |
|---|---|
| Removing the caste surname cancels my caste certificate | It does not. The Bombay High Court observed in 2016 that if the surname is changed, that does not change the caste of a person, and directed that a reserved category claim be considered where the applicant held a valid caste certificate and the notification recording the change |
| There is a gazette category for removal of surname | There is not. The Department publishes twelve categories and none of them is a removal. The file goes under adopting a different surname, or change of name for an adult, depending on what replaces it |
| A notary affidavit is enough for any surname work | Not for the different surname route. Those guidelines ask for an affidavit attested by a First Class Magistrate of the concerned area |
| I must get my Class 10 certificate reissued in the new name | In most cases no. That certificate was correct when issued. The gazette copy is what joins the two names at verification |
| A single name is not allowed in India | It is allowed. The passport instruction booklet tells an applicant with no surname to leave the Surname column blank and write the full name in the Given Name column. The difficulty reported is with travel and services outside India, not with Indian law |
| My father must also remove his surname for mine to be accepted | No. His name in your records stays as it is, and the proforma carries his name as it appears on your documents |
| An agent can file it for me at the counter in Delhi | No. The guidelines say the application is entertained only when submitted personally or sent by post or courier, and that no other channel is permissible, naming agents and advocates |
| If the gazette prints the surname wrongly I can just ask them to fix it | A published notice is corrected by a corrigendum, which is a fresh file and a fresh charge. This is why the name is settled letter by letter before anything is typed |
Key Terms in Removing a Surname or Caste Name
| Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Surname | The part of the name that follows the given name. Indian law does not compel anybody to have one, and the passport booklet plans for applicants who do not |
| Single name | A name with no surname at all. Lawful in India, with the Surname column left blank on a passport and the full name written in the Given Name column |
| Different surname | A surname that is neither the one on your records nor a maiden surname being resumed. Its guidelines ask for a magistrate attested affidavit |
| First Class Magistrate | A judicial officer at the district or sub-divisional court. A higher attestation than a notary, and a planned visit rather than a walk-in |
| Change of name | Your full name becomes a different name. Removing a surname falls here, because the full name is not what it was |
| Correction | A record is brought back to what your own earlier records already said. No change of name file is needed |
| Public notice | A gazette category that prints both the wrong version and the correct one and states which is right. Used where a word was written into a certificate that was never part of your name |
| Caste certificate | Issued on the family's community record, the parents' and grandparents' entries and residence, not on the surname. It does not change when the name does |
| One and the same person affidavit | A notarised statement that the two names belong to one person. Not a legal requirement after a gazette, but many offices ask for it as well |
| Corrigendum | A second published notice correcting a mistake in the first. A fresh file and a fresh charge |
| Part IV | The part of the Gazette of India that carries personal name notices. Check it says Part IV before you rely on the copy |
| Shortcoming | A defect the Department points out in your file. You have six months to make it good, after which a fresh application with all new documents is needed |
Surname and Caste Name Removal Help Across Jharkhand
The magistrate, the notary and the newspaper are in your own district. The record check, the category decision, the wording and the file are done on your scans over WhatsApp, for every district in the state.
District pages are linked from the services page.
Send your papers for a removal or correction check
Photograph your Class 10 certificate or admit card, your Aadhaar, the caste certificate if you hold one, and any document carrying the surname you want removed. Tell us what the new name should be, exactly as you want it printed. The first reply tells you whether this is a removal or a correction, which of the Department's categories your file goes under, whether your affidavit needs a notary or a First Class Magistrate, and the total before you pay anything. If you are thinking of going to a single name, say so at the start, because we will ask you about travel abroad first. 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
Removing a Surname or Caste Name: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove my surname from my name in Jharkhand?
Will removing my caste surname cancel my caste certificate or my reservation?
Do I need a First Class Magistrate or is a notary enough?
The caste word is on my Aadhaar but not on my Class 10 certificate. Is this a removal?
Can I live with a single name and no surname at all?
What does a gazette notice for a surname removal cost from Jharkhand?
Do I have to get my school and college certificates reissued after the removal?
How long does it take from Jharkhand?
Can an agent submit the file for me in Delhi?
My father's surname stays the same. Is that a problem?
What happens if the gazette prints the new name wrongly?
Can I remove the surname for my child who is under eighteen?
Official Sources on Removing a Surname or Caste Name
- Department of Publication, guidelines for change of nameThe twelve published categories. Read the list yourself and you will see there is no removal of surname among them.
- Department of Publication, Government of IndiaThe office at Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, where the file goes and where the current requirement is confirmed.
- e-GazetteWhere a published Part IV notice is searched for and downloaded free.
- BharatKosh, Non Tax Receipt PortalThe only channel for the Government charge, and where the amount that actually applies on the day is shown.
- Passport application instruction bookletThe name rules, including that an applicant with no surname leaves the Surname column blank and writes the full name in the Given Name column.
- News report of the Bombay High Court hearing, May 2016Reporting of the observation that changing a surname does not change a person's caste, with the bench and the facts. This is a news report and not the order itself.
- UIDAI list of supporting documentsWhat Aadhaar accepts when the name is updated after the notice publishes.
Removing a Surname or Caste Name in Eight Lines
The short version
- There is no gazette category called removal of surname among the twelve.
- Another surname replacing it means adopting a different surname.
- That route asks for a First Class Magistrate attested affidavit, not a notary.
- No surname at all means a change of name for an adult or major.
- A caste word never in your school record is a correction, not a removal.
- Changing a surname does not change your caste, as the High Court said in 2016.
- Keep the gazette copy with the caste certificate for life, because it joins both names.
- A single name is lawful in India but was reported to cause trouble abroad.
Check the oldest record first, before you spend anything on a removal.
Send your Class 10 certificate and the document carrying the surname, and we will tell you whether this is a correction or a change of name, and what it costs.