Change student’s name, it’s his right, HC tells DU

Change student’s name, it’s his right, HC tells DU

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  08.11.2020 

Delhi High Court underscored that to have a name and to express the same in the manner one wishes is a part of the right to freedom of speech and expression and liberty under the Constitution of India.

The high court’s observation came while directing Delhi University to change the name of one of its students without insisting on a change in his CBSE records. The high court said such a requirement amounted to “asking for the impossible” as “the right to change a name is a protected right.”

Justice Jayant Nath said the student passed Class XII in 2018 and was seeking a change in his name in 2019, while he was studying in the university. “Asking him to first get the CBSE records changed was ‘a misplaced requirement’ and cannot be accepted”, the court noted.

The bench was hearing a plea by Rayaan Singh, who sought change of name to Rayaan Chawla in the university records. He challenged Delhi University’s notification of 2015, which mandates that for change of name in the varsity records, it has to be first effected in the certificate issued by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

According to the plea, after his parents separated in 2007 and got divorced in 2015, Rayaan wanted to adopt his mother’s surname as he “never enjoyed a constructive relationship” with his father. He had already published a declaration regarding the change of name in two newspapers and the Gazette of India.

Delhi University had opposed the plea on the grounds that he had adequate time to get his name changed after his parents’ divorce, as he passed Class XII only in 2018. But the court did not agree.

“When CBSE issued the documents, the petitioner had the original name Rayaan Singh. The same cannot be changed now, as in 2018, when the petitioner completed his Class XII, he was known as Rayaan Singh,” it observed. It added that since the change of name was with effect from August/ September 2019, i.e., much after the Class X and XII certificates issued by CBSE, Delhi University could not in these peculiar facts and circumstances insist that he should also get the name changed in the records of CBSE.

“It would be appropriate that respondent No.1/ University of Delhi may change the name of the petitioner in its records/in the degree that may be given in the future to the petitioner....Such a course of action will avoid any confusion in the two names, which will be seen on the records of CBSE and of University of Delhi/appropriate documents issued by the said entities,” the court observed.

DELHI HIGH COURT SAYS

It would be appropriate that University of Delhi may change the name of the petitioner in the degree that may be given in the future to the petitioner... Such a course of action will avoid confusion in the two names, which will be seen on the records of CBSE and of DU