Glossary — The Terms Explained

A

Aadhaar

India's 12-digit identity number, issued by UIDAI. It's a foundation record: banks, EPFO, PAN and many services are verified against it, so a name that differs on Aadhaar causes wide problems.See: Aadhaar name correction · UIDAI guide

Affidavit

A written statement you swear to be true before a notary. In a name change it declares your old name, new name, and that both belong to you — the foundation the Gazette and newspaper ad are built on.See: The affidavit explained

Alias (Also-Known-As)

A declaration that you are known by two names, both remaining valid. Different from a name change, where one name replaces another.See: Alias declaration

Attestation

Confirmation by an authorised person or employer that a document or fact is genuine. Some corrections (e.g. certain EPFO cases) need employer attestation.

B

Blank surname

When the surname field on a document (often a passport) is empty and only a given name is recorded. It commonly triggers visa and overseas objections until a proper surname is established.See: Blank surname & FNU

C

Gazette of India vs State Gazette

The Gazette of India is the central government's official journal; the Gujarat Gazette is the state's. Name-change notifications for Gujarat residents are commonly published in the Gujarat Gazette.

Correction vs Change

A correction fixes an error in an existing name (often handled directly by the authority); a change adopts a genuinely different name (usually via a Gazette). Which one you have decides the route.See: Name change vs correction

CSC (Common Service Centre)

A government-approved service point. Harsiddhi Services operates as a government-approved CSC (ID: 136237240013) — an approval to run the centre, not a government affiliation.

D

Decree (Divorce Decree)

The court order confirming a divorce. It supports a name change reverting to a maiden name after divorce.See: Name change after divorce

Draft (approval)

The prepared version of your affidavit/Gazette wording that you review and approve before anything is filed. Your key safeguard against a published error.See: Draft review checklist

E

e-Gazette / Digital copy

The electronic form of a published Gazette notification. A clear digital copy is useful for online document updates and future re-use.See: Digital & e-Gazette copies

e-Stamp

The electronic non-judicial stamp used to pay the stamp duty on an affidavit, with a verifiable certificate. Included in our packages.See: Notary & e-stamp

Endorsement

An insurer's process for recording a change (such as a corrected name) on a policy.See: Insurance policy guide

EPFO / EPF / PF

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation and the provident fund it administers, tied to your UAN. Names must match Aadhaar for claims and transfers.See: EPFO guide · EPFO name mismatch

EPIC

The Electors Photo Identity Card — the formal name for the Voter ID card.See: Voter ID guide

F

FNU (First Name Unknown)

A placeholder some documents use when a name field is incomplete — often causing visa and overseas objections until the name is properly structured.See: Blank surname & FNU

G

Gujarat Gazette

The official journal of the Government of Gujarat, in which name-change notifications are published. A published notification is recognised proof of a name change.See: What is the Gujarat Gazette?

Gazette notification

The brief published entry recording that your old name and new name belong to the same person. Its wording — especially the old name — must fit the record you'll update.See: What's in a notification

Government Press / Department of Publication

The government machinery that publishes the Gazette. Its schedule controls the publication stage — which is why no fixed publication date can be guaranteed.

I

Initial

An abbreviated part of a name (e.g. an abbreviated father's name or surname). Whether it's expanded or abbreviated differs across documents, a very common mismatch.See: Add / remove / expand initial

J

Joint affidavit (husband & wife)

A sworn statement by both spouses, commonly used for a married-name change when there is no marriage certificate.See: Joint affidavit explained

K

KYC (Know Your Customer)

The identity-verification process banks, insurers and investment platforms run — checking your name against your Aadhaar and PAN. A mismatch blocks KYC.See: Banks & KYC guide

M

Maiden name

A woman's surname before marriage. When drafting a married-name change, the maiden name should match existing records so the old and new names link cleanly.

Mutation

Updating a property/land record to reflect a change of holder or details. A name difference on old property records must often be reconciled before mutation.See: Property & inheritance

N

Newspaper advertisement

A public announcement of a name change in a newspaper, often part of the process. Its cost is separate and varies by city and newspaper.See: Newspaper advertisement

Notary / Notarisation

An official who attests that you swore and signed an affidavit, turning a written statement into a sworn document.See: Notary & e-stamp

O

OCI (Overseas Citizen of India)

A status held by many people of Indian origin abroad. An OCI name should stay consistent with the Indian passport; NRIs often align both after a name change.See: NRI name change

One and Same Person

A declaration confirming that two forms of a name refer to the same individual — used to reconcile differences without necessarily changing a name.See: One & same person · Explained

P

PAN

The Permanent Account Number issued by the Income Tax Department. It must agree with Aadhaar for linking, refunds and KYC.See: PAN name change · Income Tax / PAN guide

PoI / PoA (Proof of Identity / Address)

The categories of document authorities accept to verify who you are and where you live. A Gazette is commonly accepted as recognised proof of identity for a name change.

PPO (Pension Payment Order)

The record governing a pensioner's payments. It should carry the same name as Aadhaar and the bank for the annual life certificate to authenticate.See: Pension records mismatch

Publication

The stage at which your notification appears in the Gazette. Controlled by the Government Press, so its timing can't be guaranteed.See: Process & timeline

R

Re-issue (passport)

Applying for a fresh passport to reflect a corrected or changed name, once a Gazette establishes it.See: Passport name change

S

Self-declaration

A statement you make about yourself. Weaker than a notarised affidavit or a Gazette for updating major records, though accepted for some minor purposes.

Surname

The family name. Changing, adding, removing or establishing a surname is one of the most common reasons for a Gazette.See: Surname change

T

Transliteration

Writing a name from one script into another — e.g. a Gujarati name into English. Because there's no single fixed way, the same name ends up spelled several ways.See: Why spellings differ

U

UAN (Universal Account Number)

Your permanent EPFO account number. A UAN name that doesn't match Aadhaar holds PF claims and transfers.See: EPFO name mismatch

UIDAI

The Unique Identification Authority of India, which issues and manages Aadhaar. It decides Aadhaar name updates under its own rules, including an update limit.See: Aadhaar update limit

V

Voter ID (EPIC)

The elector's identity card issued by the Election Commission. Its name should match your other identity documents.See: Voter ID guide