How to Change Name Legally in Andaman & Nicobar Islands (2026 Gazette Guide)

Q: What is the statutory protocol for changing an individual's name across the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands?

Executing a lawful name modification across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands requires satisfying three coordinated statutory stages governed by the Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench at Port Blair, Union Territory administration rules, and central publication mandates. First, the applicant executes a sworn declaration on ₹100 non-judicial stamp paper under the Indian Stamp Act as applicable to Andaman & Nicobar, attested before a commissioned Notary Public or Judicial Magistrate at the District and Sessions Court Complex in Aberdeen Bazaar, Port Blair, or sub-divisional courts in Mayabunder or Campbell Bay. Second, the applicant must publish public notifications in two daily morning newspapers circulating within the islands—one widely read English morning daily (such as The Daily Telegrams or The Echo of India Port Blair edition) and one prominent regional vernacular morning daily (such as Dweep Samachar in Hindi or Sanmarg). Third, the applicant compiles the complete statutory dossier—comprising the signed proforma application, compact optical disc containing the notification text in MS Word format, original uncut newspaper broadsheets, the notarized stamp affidavit, self-certified identity cards, and the Bharatkosh treasury receipt—and dispatches it via India Post Speed Post to the Controller of Publications, Civil Lines, New Delhi for publication in Part IV of The Gazette of India.

Q: Why do residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands require The Gazette of India rather than the local Administration Gazette?

The Directorate of Information, Publicity and Tourism (IP&T) and the Government Press at Port Blair publish the Andaman and Nicobar Administration Gazette primarily for official administrative orders, departmental postings, UT notifications, and island council bye-laws. However, a local UT administration gazette notification possesses limited legal authority outside the archipelago. For high-stakes statutory identification across mainland India and international borders—including issuing or re-issuing an Indian passport at the Passport Seva Kendra in Port Blair (or Regional Passport Office in Kolkata), updating central banking records, obtaining visas for overseas employment, or verifying defense credentials with the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC)—central ministries and judicial authorities require publication in Part IV of The Gazette of India under Section 57 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

Q: How does the archipelagic geography (South Andaman, North & Middle Andaman, Nicobar) affect legal documentation?

The Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar encompasses an archipelago of over 800 islands and islets stretching across nearly 800 kilometers of the Bay of Bengal, administratively partitioned into three revenue districts: South Andaman (headquartered at Port Blair), North & Middle Andaman (headquartered at Mayabunder), and Nicobar (headquartered at Car Nicobar). Residents in remote islands such as Diglipur, Rangat, Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep), Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep), Little Andaman (Hut Bay), or Campbell Bay face logistical hurdles accessing court complexes. However, notarial affidavits executed at sub-divisional administrative centers or by visiting judicial magistrates possess full territorial validity. Publishing directly in The Gazette of India creates a single, unified digital record accessible via egazette.gov.in, precluding the need for island residents to travel to mainland administrative centers for document verification.

Q: What distinct naming rules govern tri-service armed forces personnel stationed at the Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC)?

As India's only joint-services operational command, the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC Port Blair) integrates personnel from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, and Indian Coast Guard. Military service personnel, naval technical staff, and their dependents frequently encounter discrepancies between regimental service books, defense pension accounts (SPARSH / PCDA), and civilian passports. Armed forces personnel must obtain administrative clearance and an official No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their Commanding Officer (CO) or Station Adjutant, execute the non-judicial stamp affidavit, publish notices in The Daily Telegrams and Dweep Samachar, and submit the portfolio for Part IV Gazette of India publication. The gazetted notification allows military record offices to synchronize the service book without audit queries.

Q: Where in Port Blair and outer islands can deponents procure stamp paper and execute sworn notarial declarations?

Deponents obtain ₹100 non-judicial stamp paper from licensed court stamp vendors and authorized Treasury sub-depots across the islands: the District Court Complex at Aberdeen Bazaar in Port Blair, the Sub-Divisional Treasury in Mayabunder, or administrative revenue centers in Rangat, Diglipur, and Car Nicobar. The sworn statement must be executed before a commissioned Notary Public or Executive Magistrate at: (1) The District and Sessions Court Complex, Port Blair; (2) The High Court Circuit Bench premises at Haddo; (3) The Judicial Magistrate Court at Mayabunder; or (4) Camp courts convened by the Chief Judicial Magistrate in outer islands.

Q: Which morning newspapers satisfy central gazette publication criteria across Andaman & Nicobar?

Federal publication criteria require public announcements in two circulating daily broadsheets: (a) One circulating English morning daily, such as The Daily Telegrams (the territory's primary and oldest daily published by the Administration) or The Echo of India (Port Blair edition); and (b) One regional morning daily in Hindi or an approved regional tongue, such as Dweep Samachar (the official Hindi morning daily) or Sanmarg. Deponents must purchase complete, unsevered newspaper copies displaying the title masthead banner, publication date, and page numbering; clipped or torn fragments are summarily rejected by central gazette authorities in Delhi.

Q: How are historical settler rehabilitation records reconciled for Bengali, Tamil, and Telugu communities in the islands?

Following partition and post-independence rehabilitation programs, thousands of settler families from East Bengal (now Bangladesh), Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Chota Nagpur (Ranchi workers) were resettled across South Andaman, North Andaman (Diglipur), and Middle Andaman (Rangat and Baratang). Due to phonetic transliteration between Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi administrative records, spelling divergences frequently exist between historical land allotment sanads, settlement survey records, and contemporary identity cards (Aadhaar and PAN). Executing a formal e-stamp deed and publishing the standardized legal name in The Gazette of India provides statutory validation accepted by the Revenue Department and Tehsildar offices for updating land mutation records.

Q: What special regulations protect indigenous tribal naming identities under the PAT Regulation, 1956?

Under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 (PAT Regulation), ancestral tribal lands and naming conventions of the indigenous communities (Nicobarese, Great Andamanese, Onge, Shompen, Jarawa, and Sentinelese) are granted statutory safeguards. Tribal council members (such as the Nicobar Tribal Council headed by the Chief Captain in Car Nicobar and Nancowry) certify tribal naming customs and customary kinship titles. When tribal youths pursue higher education or union public service positions requiring name harmonization, the application must include verification from the Assistant Commissioner / Tribal Welfare Officer alongside standard Central Gazette submission documents.

Q: What is the procedure for updating an Indian passport at the Passport Seva Kendra in Port Blair?

Upon publication of the notification in Part IV of The Gazette of India, the applicant books an online re-issue appointment through passportindia.gov.in for the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK Port Blair, located at Supply Line, Port Blair) or the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata. Under Chapter VIII of the MEA Passport Manual, applicants submitting proof of a major name change must present: (1) A clean printout of the electronic Gazette of India publication page; (2) Original full broadsheets of both circulating newspapers (The Daily Telegrams and Dweep Samachar); (3) Sworn affidavit as per Annexure 'E'; and (4) Existing passport booklet. The passport officer verifies the central gazette entry on egazette.gov.in and issues the revised passport booklet.

Q: Can municipal birth records issued by the Port Blair Municipal Council (PBMC) be altered?

Under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, the Registrar of Births and Deaths at the Port Blair Municipal Council (PBMC, Indira Bhavan) or rural primary health centers across North & Middle Andaman can only correct clerical or typographical errors recorded at the time of birth. Municipal authorities cannot cancel or re-inscribe historical birth registers when an adult modifies their name by choice. The established legal standard requires presenting the original municipal birth certificate accompanied by the printed Gazette of India notification, which together constitute indisputable legal proof of identity.

1. Constitutional Structure & Archipelagic Jurisprudence in Andaman & Nicobar

The Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands occupies an unparalleled strategic and constitutional status in the Indian Republic. Comprising an archipelagic chain of over 800 islands and islets situated across the southeastern reaches of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, the territory is administered by the Lieutenant Governor through the Secretariat Complex at Port Blair. Judicial authority is exercised by the High Court at Calcutta through its permanent Circuit Bench at Port Blair, supported by the District and Sessions Court Complex at Aberdeen Bazaar and sub-divisional courts in Mayabunder and Campbell Bay.

The islands' demographic profile embodies a rich convergence: descendants of early penal settlement pioneers, post-independence settler families rehabilitated from East Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, industrial workers from the Chota Nagpur plateau, indigenous tribal communities protected under the PAT Regulation of 1956, and tri-service defense personnel of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC). Given this complex multi-layered administrative landscape, neither central ministries nor local departments accept informal affidavits or unverified declarations. Establishing complete statutory validity requires fulfilling three mandatory checkpoints:

Step A

Sworn Notarial Deed

Drafted on ₹100 non-judicial stamp paper attested before a commissioned Notary Public at Aberdeen Bazaar Courts, Port Blair or Mayabunder.

Step B

Island Morning Broadsheets

Morning advertisements published in The Daily Telegrams / Echo of India (English) and Dweep Samachar (Hindi daily).

Step C

Federal Gazette Record

Final statutory inscription in Part IV of The Gazette of India, published by the Controller of Publications, Civil Lines, New Delhi.

This tripartite statutory protocol guarantees that an individual's newly assumed legal identity carries sovereign evidentiary authority under Section 57 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, eliminating administrative friction across maritime authorities, defense command headquarters, and educational registrars.

2. Comparative Legal Authority: Central Gazette vs A&N Administration Gazette

Islanders frequently consider whether publishing in the local official gazette printed by the Government Press at Port Blair fulfills their personal legal requirements. While the Andaman and Nicobar Administration Gazette satisfies internal departmental communications, it possesses significant legal constraints when interfacing with mainland and international institutions:

Statutory Parameter	The Gazette of India (Part IV)	A&N Administration Gazette
Statutory Issuing Directorate	Department of Publication, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India (Civil Lines, Delhi)	Directorate of IP&T / Government Press, Andaman & Nicobar Administration (Port Blair)
Mainland & Overseas Portability	Unconditional legal validity across all 28 Indian States, 8 UTs, and foreign embassies worldwide	Frequently disputed or rejected by mainland state authorities and foreign consulates
Passport Seva Directorate Acceptance	Unconditionally mandatory and accepted by PSK Port Blair, RPO Kolkata & MEA	Subject to departmental queries or outright rejection
Tri-Service Defense Command Sync	Directly accepted for Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard & SPARSH pension records	Requires supplementary defense audit clearance and protracted verification
Searchable Public Index	Permanently accessible and downloadable via the central repository egazette.gov.in	Limited digital indexing in local island administrative archives
Statutory Treasury Head	₹1,100 (Adult) / ₹1,700 (Minor) via Bharatkosh Portal	UT treasury challan schedule at Port Blair Central Treasury

Authoritative Recommendation for Andaman & Nicobar Residents: Whether you are an armed forces technician at INS Jarawa or ANC headquarters, a settler family member in Diglipur regularizing revenue survey records, a merchant mariner updating maritime CDC books, or an applicant seeking higher education in mainland Kolkata or Chennai, publishing directly in The Gazette of India (Central Gazette) is overwhelmingly recommended. It establishes permanent, unassailable legal proof recognized across India and worldwide.

3. Chronological Legal Roadmap for Name Change in Andaman & Nicobar

Completing an official name modification across any island of the territory demands strict adherence to statutory protocols. Follow these three sequential legal phases to prevent administrative delays:

Swearing the Statutory Affidavit on Island Non-Judicial Stamp Paper

The deponent purchases non-judicial stamp paper of ₹100 value under the Indian Stamp Act as applicable to Andaman & Nicobar through authorized Treasury depots or licensed court stamp vendors. Sworn statements can be executed before a commissioned Notary Public or Judicial Magistrate at recognized judicial facilities across the territory:

South Andaman District: District Courts Complex and Bar Association notary counters at Aberdeen Bazaar / Clock Tower, Port Blair.
Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench: High Court Bar counters at Haddo, Port Blair.
North & Middle Andaman District: Sub-Divisional Court Complex and Judicial Magistrate Court at Mayabunder, and camp sittings in Diglipur and Rangat.
Nicobar District: Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) / Assistant Commissioner facilities at Car Nicobar and Campbell Bay.

Publishing Public Notices in Approved Island Daily Broadsheets

Following execution of the affidavit, mandatory public announcements must be published in two daily morning broadsheet newspapers circulating within the applicant's resident island district:

Approved Circulating English Daily Broadsheets:

The Daily Telegrams (published by IP&T Port Blair) or The Echo of India (Port Blair edition).

Approved Regional Vernacular Morning Broadsheets:

Dweep Samachar (official Hindi daily broadsheet) or Sanmarg.

Mandatory Press Evidence Rule: Preserve the complete, uncut newspaper broadsheets showing the full page headers, date of publication, and page numbers. Submitting clipped fragments leads to immediate dossier rejection by central gazette authorities.

Federal Application Assembly & Maritime Speed Post Submission

The terminal stage entails assembling the statutory dossier and dispatching the physical packet via India Post Registered Speed Post to the Controller of Publications, Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054:

Andaman & Nicobar Submission Portfolio Inventory:

Signed Proforma Instrument: Completed official federal proforma countersigned by the petitioner and two verified adult resident witnesses residing in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Optical CD-R Medium: An unfinalized compact disc containing the identical notification text in editable MS Word format (.docx) without security passwords.

Sworn Stamp Deed: The authentic physical ₹100 non-judicial stamp paper sworn before a commissioned Notary Public at Aberdeen Bazaar Courts or Mayabunder.

Twin Entire Daily Broadsheets: Complete, unsevered copies of both The Daily Telegrams and Dweep Samachar displaying publication dates.

Bharatkosh Electronic Treasury Challan: Official electronic receipt proving payment under Non-Tax Receipt Portal Major Head 0053 for central publication services.

Attested Identity Documents: Two cross-attested passport photographs along with self-certified photocopies of valid government identification cards (Aadhaar, Passport, or Island Islander Card).

4. Specific Regional Scenarios Across Andaman & Nicobar Islands

From the bustling naval jetties of Port Blair to the agrarian settlements of Diglipur and the secluded atolls of the Nicobar district, island citizens encounter distinct legal identity scenarios:

A. Tri-Service Armed Forces & Coast Guard at Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC)

As the headquarters of India's unified theater command, Port Blair hosts thousands of active-duty officers, sailors, airmen, soldiers, and Coast Guard personnel attached to INS Jarawa, INS Utkrosh, INS Kardip, and Coast Guard Regional Headquarters. Military personnel seeking to resolve discrepancies between service books, defense health schemes (ECHS), and civilian Aadhaar/PAN records must obtain an official No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their Commanding Officer before publishing in The Daily Telegrams and The Gazette of India. Gazette notification enables defense pension agencies (PCDA / SPARSH) to record name alterations without protracted audit queries.

B. Settler Colony Nomenclature & Historical Rehabilitation Sanad Reconciliation

Post-independence refugee rehabilitation projects established agricultural colonies across North and Middle Andaman (Diglipur, Rangat, Mayabunder) for displaced families from Bengal, as well as settler programs for Tamil, Telugu, and Ranchi communities. Over decades, phonetically Anglicized or Hindi-transliterated names on original land allotment sanads diverged from modern identity cards. Gazette of India publication provides legal certainty required by the Deputy Commissioner's Revenue Office for mutating ancestral tenancy and ownership titles.

C. Tribal Welfare Safeguards & PAT Regulation 1956 Verification

The indigenous tribal population of the Nicobar archipelago and aboriginal reserves operates under the statutory umbrella of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956. For indigenous youths seeking union employment or admission to central universities, customary tribal names must be reconciled with mainland certificate formats. Submitting an endorsement from the Nicobar Tribal Council alongside an official Gazette of India publication ensures compliance with union tribal reservation criteria while honoring ancestral cultural identity.

D. Seafarers, Maritime Logistics & Merchant Navy CDC Synchronization

The archipelagic economy relies profoundly on the Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS), the Port Management Board (PMB), and commercial merchant fleets. Mariners, tugboat masters, and marine engineers holding Continuous Discharge Certificates (CDC) issued by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) encounter severe professional disruptions if their nautical certificates do not align perfectly with biometric passports. Central Gazette publication furnishes the unassailable legal instrument required by the Shipping Master to correct CDC and CoC endorsements.

E. Higher Education Credential Synchronization Across Island Colleges

Students attending higher education centers across Port Blair—including Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya (JNRM), Andaman & Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS), and Pondicherry University Regional Centre at Brookshabad—who prepare for mainland postgraduate entrance tests (NEET-PG, CUET, GATE) must resolve discrepancies between 10th board marks and graduation dossiers. Submitting a Gazette of India publication alongside original broadsheets to college registrars enables the immediate issuance of official Name Equivalence / Corrigendum certificates required for mainland admissions counseling.

5. Three-Stage Legal Roadmap for Island Deponents

Every applicant residing within South Andaman, North & Middle Andaman, or the Nicobar archipelago must navigate these three procedural milestones to guarantee complete statutory validation:

Milestone I: Execution

Notarial Declaration

Execution of sworn deed declaring former and newly assumed nomenclature alongside parents' names and residential verification in the islands. Attested by an authorized Notary Public at Aberdeen Bazaar Courts or Mayabunder.

Milestone II: Publication

Press Promulgation

Release of statutory notifications in one English broadsheet (The Daily Telegrams or Echo of India) and one regional morning daily (Dweep Samachar or Sanmarg). Preserving whole unsevered newspaper pages is mandatory.

Milestone III: Inscription

Federal Inscription

Physical transmission of the statutory file to the Department of Publication in Civil Lines, Delhi. Enactment in Part IV of The Gazette of India confers sovereign legal recognition across all Indian jurisdictions.

6. Comprehensive Statutory Cost & Treasury Breakdown for Andaman & Nicobar

Transparent cost accounting ensures that citizens across the islands understand each mandatory expenditure required throughout the legal journey:

Statutory Cost Component	Official Tariff	Disbursal Channel / Agency
A&N Non-Judicial Stamp Duty	₹100	Port Blair Central Treasury / Mayabunder Sub-Treasury / Court Vendors
Commissioned Notary Public Attestation	₹150 – ₹300	Bar Association Notary at Aberdeen Bazaar Courts or Mayabunder
Island Daily Newspaper Advertisements	₹1,200 – ₹2,500	The Daily Telegrams & Dweep Samachar / Echo of India Classifieds
Bharatkosh Federal Gazette Fee (Major Head 0053)	₹1,100 (Adult) / ₹1,700 (Minor)	Controller of Publications, Civil Lines, New Delhi
India Post Registered Speed Post Transmission	₹60 – ₹100	Department of Posts (with online tracking acknowledgment)

7. Frequently Asked Questions: Name Change in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Comprehensive legal answers regarding the name change procedure, affidavit execution, defense command clearances, island press broadsheets, settler land record sync, and gazette requirements across the archipelago.

What is the statutory protocol for changing an individual's name across the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands?

Why do residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands require The Gazette of India rather than the local Administration Gazette?

How does the archipelagic geography (South Andaman, North & Middle Andaman, Nicobar) affect legal documentation?

What distinct naming rules govern tri-service armed forces personnel stationed at the Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC)?

Where in Port Blair and outer islands can deponents procure stamp paper and execute sworn notarial declarations?

Which morning newspapers satisfy central gazette publication criteria across Andaman & Nicobar?

How are historical settler rehabilitation records reconciled for Bengali, Tamil, and Telugu communities in the islands?

What special regulations protect indigenous tribal naming identities under the PAT Regulation, 1956?

What is the procedure for updating an Indian passport at the Passport Seva Kendra in Port Blair?

Can municipal birth records issued by the Port Blair Municipal Council (PBMC) be altered?

How can students and graduates amend academic certificates at JNRM, ANIIMS, and DBRAIT in Port Blair?

How do seafarers and merchant navy crew update their Continuous Discharge Certificates (CDC) in Port Blair?

What protocol must Andaman & Nicobar Administration UT employees follow for an official name change?

Where in Port Blair can residents update biometric and demographic records for Aadhaar?

How is an amended name updated on PAN records through income tax facilities in Port Blair?

What procedural mandates govern renaming a minor child in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar?

How does a woman in Andaman and Nicobar legally revert to her maiden surname following a divorce?

What distinct documentation must accompany a name change resulting from religious conversion in the islands?

What frequent errors cause central gazette authorities in Delhi to reject Andaman & Nicobar applications?

How do commercial banks and cooperative societies across the islands update customer accounts post-Gazette?

Verified Official Government Sources & Citations

In adherence to our E-E-A-T and legal transparency policy, procedural details are sourced directly from authorized statutory channels. eSolutions does not fabricate government circulars.

Department of Publication, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
Official portal for Central Gazette notifications & guidelines
The Gazette of India (e-Gazette)
Search and download published Part IV civil name change notifications
Bharatkosh (Non-Tax Receipt Portal)
Official Government of India portal for depositing gazette publication fees
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
Official Aadhaar name correction circulars and supported documentation
Passport Seva, Ministry of External Affairs
Official passport re-issue guidelines under changed legal names

How to Change Name Legally in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (2026 Gazette Guide)