Change Of Name Due To Change Of Sex Or Gender In India: There is a common practice in India for people to change their gender, and if their gender has changed, then their name should have changed as well. Changing your name legally is a long process, and many people avoid the process because they believe it is time-consuming and laborious. The name change process is not that complicated. To guide you through this process, you can hire agents who are knowledgeable about the process.

The names on all documents serve as credentials for an individual’s identity, so it is important for people to make sure they are correct. People may need Change Of Name Due To Change Of Sex Or Gender In India. Changing a transgender person’s name is also possible following a simple procedure.

What Is Gender Change?

Every Indian citizen has the right to choose their gender, regardless of their caste or creed. Individuals can undergo gender transformation if they wish to or feel that their identity does not align with the name on their birth certificate. The term transgender refers to someone who has taken medical assistance to transform himself or herself toward a different sex.

If you have changed your gender, you need to make the change legally valid in India. Gender change notifications must be published in the weekly gazette of the state or city, which is published by the Department of Publication, Government of India.

Reasons For Change Of Name Due To Change Of Sex Or Gender In India

There are many reasons why for a Change Of Name Due To Change Of Sex Or Gender In India. A change of gender is one of them. There are also the following reasons:-

Change of religion
Dissatisfaction with the name
Astrological reasons
Numerological reasons
Wrong entry of the name in official records
Change of name after marriage
Change of name due to divorce
Remarriage

Documents Required For Change Name After Change Gender in India

When changing gender, a person might want to change his or her name on documents. This requires changing the name legally, along with submitting essential documents to the appropriate authorities. In order to Change Of Name Due To Change Of Sex Or Gender In India, you must provide the following documents:-

The ID proof can include any one of the following-

ID proof
Aadhaar card
Voter ID
Passport
Two passport-size photographs
Copy of the newspaper publication in which advertisement of gender change was published by the applicant.
A specimen proforma that has to be duly signed by the applicant desiring to change name because of a change of gender and two major witnesses.
A certificate of declaration providing that the details in the application are actual.
A letter of request and specified fee for registration needs to be submitted with the documents to the concerned authority.

How To Legally Change Your Name After Changing Your Gender?

Step 1 – Gender Change Affidavit

After undergoing the gender change transformation, you have to legally declare that you have changed your gender and also provide the name after the gender change. The first step of Change Of Name Due To Change Of Sex Or Gender In India involved in this process is to prepare an affidavit declaring the change of gender and the name after the gender change if required.

The affidavit should be prepared systematically according to the Department of Publication. It should contain all the essential details such as old name, new name, residential address, age, father’s name, and gender. The affidavit should be prepared with the help of a local notary officer and must be printed on stamp paper, the price of which is generally nominal.

An important thing to note while preparing an affidavit is that all the details that you provide while preparing an affidavit should be the same as the details provided in the supporting identity proof documents.

Step 2 – Newspaper Publication

After preparing an affidavit for Change Of Name Due To Change Of Sex Or Gender In India, the next step an applicant needs to follow is to give an advertisement in the newspaper. This advertisement can be made in a local newspaper, in Hindi, or a national newspaper in English. Provide essential details that you desire to be published in the newspaper as an advertisement.

Ensure that these details are correct and should be the same as the details provided in the affidavit. You must crosscheck all the details so as to ensure that the contents are correct because any minor mistake can cause a huge problem.

Step 3 – Gazette Procedure

The last step involved in Change Of Name Due To Change Of Sex Or Gender In India procedure is getting the name change notification published in the official gazette. For this, you need to file the duly signed application along with the essential documents. There are specified government fees for this procedure, which should also be paid.

A gazette can be defined as an official magazine that is published by the government. Every state and the central government owns its version of the gazette.

Gazette publication can be made in any gazette, but it might happen that some government bodies insist you give the notification in the central government gazette.

Step 4 – Gazette Publication

After the successful submission of the duly signed application, the concerned Department will scrutinize your gender application. After reviewing it and approving it, your notification will get published in the government E Gazette. The publication of a Change Of Name Due To Change Of Sex Or Gender In India might take around 45 to 60 business days to appear in the e-gazette. You can download the soft copy once it is published. The weekly gazette is generally published every Saturday.

A copy of the Gazette notification will be provided to you via email. Get a hard copy by printing it. The Department of Gazette office doesn’t issue any physical certificate of the gazette notification, so you have to keep a copy of the gazette notification for proof. This copy of the gazette notification can be provided with the essential documents as valid proof.

What If My Gender Change Application Got Rejected?

Your gender change application might get rejected because of some problem in the format. The application might get rejected because of some problem in the prescribed format or procedure. If this happens to you, then you have to draft a new gender change application and file the same with the concerned Department again. It is strongly suggested you take the assistance of a legal expert who will ease the process for you and will ensure that no mistakes are made with the legal documents, format, and procedure.

Conclusion

If you are an Indian citizen, you have full rights to get Change Of Name Due To Change Of Sex Or Gender In India. After undergoing the gender change, it is necessary to publish the notification in the newspaper and gazette, before which a gender change affidavit needs to be prepared and submitted.

The legal age to initiate the procedure of name change is 18 years, but if a minor wants to change his or her name, then they have to take the assistance of parents or their legal guardian.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I legally change my gender in India?

As an Indian citizen, you have full rights to change your gender if you want and feel that your identity doesn’t align with your name on the birth certificate.

What steps one needs to follow to change the name after changing gender?

After changing gender, the name can be changed legally by following a few steps:-

Affidavit submission
Newspaper publication
Gazette notification

How much does gender change surgery cost in India?

Sex reassignment surgeries(SRS) can cost an individual around 2 to 5 lakh Rs for a male-to-female transition in a private hospital. For a person undergoing female-to-male transition, the expense will be around 4 to 8 lakh Rs.

Is the legal name-changing process in India complex and time-consuming?

The procedure of name change can be time-consuming because of the documentation and verification process.

This process can turn out complicated if the person is unaware of the process and documents required. To avoid the complexities, it is advisable to take the help of agents who will guide and assist you throughout the name change procedure.