THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) on Sunday said a person’s name can be corrected on the SSLC and higher secondary certificates once the change was published in the state government gazette.
Considering a petition which alleged authorities were refusing to correct the names on SSLC books and higher secondary certificates despite it being changed througwh the official process, KSHRC acting chairperson P Mohanadas said, “The person seeking a change of name in SSLC book based on a gazette notification has to submit an application to the state examination commissioner via the respective school.” The KSHRC also instructed the exam commissioner to take steps to correct the detail if such an application was submitted.
It had earlier demanded an explanation from the exam commissioner based on the complaint.
The exam commissioner had replied mistakes in details on certificates given to students passing the SSLC examination will be corrected only if the student pays a fee and submits an application to the commissioner with the necessary documents to prove the error.
“This can only be done if clerical errors occurred in school documents with regards to details like name, caste, and religion,” the commissioner had said. “If a person’s name is changed via gazette notification, the rules say a copy of the gazette should be attached with the school certificate to prove the change,” they said.
However, the complaint said the practice makes things difficult for students, especially those applying for higher studies abroad, as it causes confusion and complicates the application process.
Mohanadas said though the school authorities were unauthorised to correct the details on high school certificates based on gazette notifications, the exam commissioner could do so in the case of name, religion or birth date. “There is a government order to this effect,” Mohanadas said.