Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS) Name Correction in Jharkhand: Holder, Spouse and Nominee
The Senior Citizens Savings Scheme is where many retired people in Jharkhand keep their gratuity and PF money. When the name in the SCSS account does not match Aadhaar or PAN, interest credit, tax forms, extension and the final claim can all get stuck. SBI's SCSS FAQ gives the rule in one line: "Change of name or surname may be allowed by the branch by following the procedure laid down by RBI for change of name or surname in Bank Savings account." So the fix is the same paper a bank asks for in a savings account. For a spelling slip or a wife's married surname, that is usually not a Gazette notice. We publish Gazette notices, and we say this first.
Five points, in the order you will need them. First, go to the bank branch or post office that holds the SCSS account; it makes the change. Second, the branch follows the RBI procedure for a savings account name change, so bring an old-name document and a document in the new name. Third, a wife who is the joint holder and uses her married surname links her two names with a marriage certificate. Fourth, a spelling slip is usually fixed with Aadhaar, PAN and an affidavit. Fifth, do not close the account just to fix a name, because early closure has deductions. We publish Gazette notices, and we say plainly that most SCSS name problems need none.
How SCSS Name Correction Works at the Bank or Post Office
SCSS has no name change form of its own that we could find. SBI's FAQ sends the branch to the savings account rule: "Change of name or surname may be allowed by the branch by following the procedure laid down by RBI for change of name or surname in Bank Savings account." The same FAQ says "PAN and Aadhaar of the customer are mandatorily required for opening SCSS, 2019 account", so these two are the names the account is checked against.
| Record | Why the name matters |
|---|---|
| Aadhaar | Mandatory for the account, per SBI's FAQ |
| PAN | Mandatory too, and used for interest tax and TDS |
| Linked savings account | Interest is usually credited here, so the names should agree |
| Spouse's documents, in a joint account | The joint holder can only be the spouse |
| Nominee's documents | Checked when the nominee claims |
Which SCSS Name Problem You Have
SCSS name problems usually fall into a few kinds. This sorting is ours, built from the documents the scheme asks for.
| What does not match | What it usually is |
|---|---|
| Holder's name: SCSS record against Aadhaar or PAN | Often a spelling slip, a short name, or initials |
| Wife as joint holder: maiden name against married name | A surname change after marriage |
| Nominee's name: SCSS record against the nominee's Aadhaar | Often a short name, or a daughter's married surname |
| Deceased's name: death certificate against SCSS record | Often a slip on the death certificate |
| A genuine change of name by the holder | A real new name, not a slip |
How to Fix Each Name Mismatch in an SCSS Account
Each problem has its own paper. This is our practical advice, built on the RBI savings account rule that SBI's FAQ points to.
| Problem | What usually fixes it |
|---|---|
| Holder's spelling slip | Aadhaar, PAN and a one-and-the-same affidavit. See spelling correction affidavit |
| Wife's married surname | Her marriage certificate. See name change for married women |
| Nominee's name differs | Update the nomination, or link the names with an affidavit or marriage certificate at claim time |
| Death certificate misspelt | Registrar correction. See death certificate correction |
| Genuine change of name | A Central Gazette notice, then Aadhaar and PAN, then the bank |
SCSS After the Depositor's Death: Spouse, Nominee and Legal Heirs
SBI's FAQ says: "If the first holder / depositor expires before the maturity of the account, the spouse may continue the account on the same terms and conditions as specified under the SCSS Rules, if the spouse meets eligibility conditions." This right came in through notification G.S.R. 392(E) of 9 June 2014, as reported by TaxGuru, and it covers a joint account or a spouse who is the sole nominee. Names on both sides must match for this to go smoothly.
| Situation | What SBI's FAQ says |
|---|---|
| Joint account, or spouse is sole nominee | The spouse "may continue the account" if eligible |
| Spouse does not continue | Closed on an application in Form-F, as the 2014 amendment is reported |
| Husband and wife had separate accounts | The deceased's account "shall not be continued" |
| No nominee, amount up to Rs 5 lakh | The branch "may pay the same to any person appearing to the branch as the rightful claimant" |
| No nominee, amount above Rs 5 lakh | Probate, letters of administration, succession certificate, or legal heir certificate |
Does an SCSS Name Correction Need a Gazette Notice?
Usually not. The rule SBI's FAQ points to is the savings account rule, and under RBI's KYC FAQ a State Government marriage certificate is an accepted route for a married woman. A spelling slip is usually handled with Aadhaar, PAN and an affidavit. A Gazette notice is for a genuine change of name.
| Situation | What usually applies |
|---|---|
| Spelling slip or short name | Aadhaar, PAN, affidavit. No Gazette |
| Wife's married surname | Marriage certificate. No Gazette |
| Death certificate slip | Registrar correction. No Gazette |
| Genuine new name, or no marriage certificate | A Central Gazette notice is the clean route |
How to Correct the Name in an SCSS Account, Step by Step
Go to the branch that holds the SCSS account
Bank or post office.
Ask for the name change checklist
In writing, if you can.
Compare the name everywhere
SCSS record, Aadhaar, PAN.
Fix Aadhaar and PAN first
They are the base.
Find which paper fixes it
Affidavit, marriage certificate or Gazette.
Prepare an affidavit if needed
Rs 100 stamp paper as our safe default.
Write a short covering letter
Old name, new name, account number.
Attach self attested copies
And carry the originals.
Submit and take a dated receipt
Keep a copy of everything.
Check the passbook and linked account
The new name should show.
Central Gazette Process for a Name From Jharkhand, and Where It Fits an SCSS Account
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 and download the e-Gazette copy. Then update Aadhaar and PAN, then the SCSS branch and the linked savings account.
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 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 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.
What SCSS Name Correction Costs
The SCSS sources we read do not name a fee for changing the name. The costs are the documents that prove the name, and usually not a Gazette notice.
| Item | What we can and cannot tell you |
|---|---|
| Name change at the branch | No fee named in the sources we read. Ask the branch |
| Affidavit | Stamp paper, Rs 100 as our safe default, plus the notary's fee |
| Marriage certificate | Set by the registering office. We print no figure |
| Gazette notice | Usually not needed. If it is, the Department of Publication charge is paid on BharatKosh, is revised each year and is non-refundable |
| What we charge | Quoted on the call. For telling you which paper fixes it, nothing |
Myths About SCSS Name Correction
| What people believe | What is actually so |
|---|---|
| SCSS has its own name change form | SBI's FAQ points to the savings account rule |
| Every name change needs a Gazette | Usually not. A marriage certificate or affidavit often works |
| Close and reopen to fix the name | Early closure has deductions |
| Anyone can be a joint holder | "only with the spouse" |
| The widow loses the account | The spouse "may continue the account" if eligible |
| Separate accounts pass to the spouse | They "shall not be continued" |
| No nominee means a court case always | Up to Rs 5 lakh, the branch may pay the rightful claimant |
| A Gazette corrects a death certificate | No. The Registrar does |
| Only one nominee is allowed | Up to four, per SBI's FAQ |
| The Jharkhand Government Press can publish my notice | Personal notices were stopped in July 2025, as reported |
| The post office follows a different rule | We did not read one. Ask for the checklist |
Key Terms in an SCSS Account
| Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| SCSS | Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, a Government deposit |
| Depositor | The person who opened the account |
| First holder | The depositor in a joint account |
| Joint holder | Only the spouse |
| Nominee | Up to four people named to receive the money |
| Form-F | The closure application after death |
| Extension | A further three-year block after maturity |
| Premature closure | Closing before maturity, with deductions |
| Rightful claimant | Who the branch may pay up to Rs 5 lakh with no nominee |
| Legal heir certificate | A document naming the heirs |
| One-and-the-same affidavit | A sworn statement that two names are one person |
| KYC | Identity and address documents |
SCSS Name Correction Help Across Jharkhand
For a retired person, the first question is which name does not match, and where. We compare the SCSS passbook, Aadhaar, PAN and the spouse's or nominee's papers, tell you which paper fixes it, and word the covering letter. For most SCSS name problems, we will tell you that you need no Gazette notice, and we charge nothing for telling you. We help people across Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Deoghar, Hazaribagh and every other district, on scans over WhatsApp.
District pages are linked from the services page.
Send the SCSS passbook and your Aadhaar and PAN
Send the SCSS passbook or account statement first, then Aadhaar and PAN, and the marriage certificate if a wife's surname is involved. Tell us in one line which name the branch says does not match. Our first reply tells you which paper fixes it. For most SCSS name problems, we will tell you that no Gazette notice is needed and charge you nothing. 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
SCSS Name Correction: Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I correct the name in an SCSS account?
What rule does the branch follow?
Which documents does the branch check the name against?
My wife is the joint holder and now uses her married surname.
My name has a spelling slip in the SCSS record.
Should I close the account and open a new one?
Can my wife continue the account after my death?
We had separate accounts. Does mine pass to my wife?
There is no nominee. Who gets the money?
The death certificate has the name wrong.
Do I need a Gazette notice?
How much of this can you do for us?
Official Sources on SCSS Name Correction
| Source | What it is used for on this page |
|---|---|
| SBI, FAQ on SCSS | The most important source on this page. Name change rule, PAN and Aadhaar, joint account, nomination, death, no nominee, early closure |
| SBI circular on SCSS 2023 changes (G.S.R. 829(E), 7 November 2023) | Spouse continuing on applying to the branch; extension in three-year blocks |
| G.S.R. 392(E), 9 June 2014, as reported by TaxGuru | Spouse continuing a joint account; Form-F closure |
| HDFC Bank, SCSS FAQ | Proof of marriage for a joint account |
| RBI, KYC FAQ | Old-name document plus Gazette or State Government marriage certificate |
| What we could not verify | A separate SCSS name change form; India Post's own checklist; any fee for the change |
| Our other pages on the neighbouring questions | Post office savings, NSC and KVP; PPF account; pension records |
SCSS Name Correction in Nine Lines
The short version
- Go to the branch that holds the SCSS account.
- It follows the savings account name change rule.
- PAN and Aadhaar are the names it checks against.
- A spelling slip usually uses an affidavit.
- A married wife uses her marriage certificate.
- A wrong death certificate goes to the Registrar.
- The spouse may continue a joint account after death.
- Do not close the account to fix a name.
- Most SCSS name problems need no Gazette notice.