Cost of a Name Change for a Minor in West Bengal: Rs 1,700 Fixed, the Rest Is Up to You
One number is fixed by the government and one decision drives everything else. The Gazette of India charges Rs 1,700 for a minor, and the cheaper state gazette is not open to children at all. The newspaper notice is where families overspend by thousands without meaning to. This page breaks the whole cost down, and names the cases where the right answer costs a fraction of a gazette.
Get Call and Name Change Format
What Does a Minor's Name Change Cost in West Bengal? (Quick Answer)
The fixed part is the government fee of Rs 1,700 for a minor, paid online through BharatKosh to the Department of Publication for a Gazette of India notification. Not a demand draft, and not Rs 1,100: that is the adult rate, and the Kolkata Gazette Part II is for applicants aged 18 and above, so the cheaper state route is not available for a child at all. Around the fixed fee sit costs you control: the notarised affidavit, notices in one Bengali and one English daily, and speed post to Delhi. The newspaper is the largest variable, so compare classified text rates before booking. Before paying any of it, check whether your problem is actually a Registrar or board correction, which costs far less and needs no gazette.
| Item | Fixed or variable | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gazette of India fee, minor | Fixed: Rs 1,700 | Paid on BharatKosh; the only route open to a child |
| Kolkata Gazette Part II | Not available | Applicants aged 18 and above only, so the Rs 1,100 state rate does not apply |
| Additional alias, where the file carries one | Extra per the schedule | Does not arise in a simple change of name |
| Notarised affidavit | Variable | Stamp paper and notary charges |
| Newspaper notices, Bengali and English | Variable, the largest item | Classified text is far cheaper than a display box; compare titles |
| Speed post to Delhi | Variable, small | Post in the parent's own name |
| Gazette download | Free | egazette.gov.in |
| School record update | Normally free | Board correction, if a marksheet already exists, is separate |
| Child's Aadhaar update | Rs 50 demographic, per UIDAI | Biometric update free from five to seven, about Rs 100 after |
| Court petition | Only in contested cases | No petition, no court fee, in an agreed case |
The Government Fee for a Minor Gazette Name Change: Rs 1,700
The Department of Publication charges by category. A minor's change of name is Rs 1,700; an adult's is Rs 1,100; an applicant living abroad pays more. There is no discount, no concession and no way to file a child's case at the adult rate.
Payment is online through BharatKosh, the government's receipt portal, and the receipt goes into the file. Any page telling you to prepare a demand draft in favour of a controller of publications in West Bengal is describing a process that has moved on, and following it will cost you a rejected file and a second round of postage.
Where the money goes
Straight to the Government of India against your own BharatKosh reference. Nobody should be collecting it in cash on the government's behalf. Full fee tables, state and central.
Why the Cheaper West Bengal State Gazette Is Not an Option for a Child
For an adult in West Bengal, the Kolkata Gazette Part II is both cheaper and faster: Rs 1,100 on GRIPS, published within seven days of a complete file. Parents naturally ask for the same for their child, and agents sometimes quote it.
It is not available. The Part II guideline sets eligibility at 18 years and above, so a minor's application cannot be filed there at any price. The Gazette of India is the only route, at Rs 1,700, with a parent or guardian as applicant, and 30 to 45 days for publication. Anyone quoting a child's case at Rs 1,100 on the state gazette either has not read the guideline or is about to file it wrongly.
The upside
The central notification is valid across India and abroad, which is what a passport, a board outside West Bengal or an overseas university will want anyway. The parent's guide to the central route.
The Newspaper Notice: Where a Child's Name Change Actually Gets Expensive
The gazette fee is fixed, so the difference between a careful family and a careless one is almost entirely the newspaper. Two things drive it: the titles you choose, and whether you book a plain classified text notice or a display box with a border. The display version looks smarter and costs several times more, and no office anywhere asks for it.
- Ask two or three papers for classified text rates before booking anything
- One Bengali and one English daily is the practice; take the smallest notice that carries the required wording
- Keep the complete pages, not clippings, because the file needs them
- Do not let anyone book a display advertisement on your behalf without telling you the rate
Wording first, booking second
Get the notice text right before you ask for rates, because rates are quoted per line or per square centimetre. Formats and sample wording.
Cheaper Routes: When a Child's Case Needs No Gazette at All
| What is actually wrong | Correct route | Cost picture |
|---|---|---|
| Name misspelt on the birth certificate | Registrar correction through the registering body | The local body's own fee; no gazette |
| Birth registered before the child was named | Registration of the child's name with the same Registrar | Local body fee; no gazette |
| Name wrong on a marksheet, school record correct | Board correction through the school | The board's fee, paid after approval; no gazette |
| Aadhaar disagrees with a correct certificate | Aadhaar update at a Seva Kendra | Rs 50 per UIDAI's schedule |
| The child is genuinely taking a new name | Gazette of India | Rs 1,700 plus the variable costs above |
The three birth certificate cases · Board correction route · Child Aadhaar update.
Cost of Updating Aadhaar, School Records and Passport After the Gazette
Gazette download
Free from egazette.gov.in. Print several copies; nobody needs to sell you one.
School record
Normally free. The admission register is updated on the gazette and newspaper pages.
Child's Aadhaar
Rs 50 for the demographic update per UIDAI's schedule; the first biometric update is free from five to seven and about Rs 100 after.
Passport and board
Passport fees are Passport Seva's own; a board correction on an existing marksheet carries the board's fee, paid after approval.
What You Should Not Be Paying For in a Minor Name Change
A court petition in an agreed case
Where both parents agree, no petition is filed and no court fee arises. When a court order is genuinely needed.
A gazette for a spelling mistake
That is a Registrar or board correction, at a fraction of the cost.
A display advertisement
Classified text carries the same legal weight for a fraction of the price.
A copy of the gazette notification
The download is free at egazette.gov.in.
A CD of the soft copy
The file takes a soft copy and a matching certificate; nobody needs to sell you a disc.
The government fee in cash to an agent
BharatKosh is paid online against your own reference, and the receipt is yours.
Costly Mistakes in a Child's Name Change
Booking the newspaper before the wording is final
A wrong notice means booking and paying twice.
Filing the child's case on the state portal
Applicants aged 18 and above only. The fee and the time are lost.
Spelling differences between affidavit, notice and proforma
The single commonest reason a file is returned, and every return costs postage and weeks.
Changing the name twice
Two gazettes, two sets of newspaper costs, and both of the child's lifetime Aadhaar changes used.
Leaving the board correction until after the marksheet is printed
Correcting an issued marksheet costs more effort than getting the registration right.
Paying anything before someone reads the documents
Half the enquiries we get do not need a gazette at all.
Cost of a Minor Name Change in West Bengal: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a name change cost for a minor in West Bengal?
The fixed part is the government fee of Rs 1,700, paid on BharatKosh to the Department of Publication for a Gazette of India notification. Around it sit variable costs you control: the notarised affidavit, notices in one Bengali and one English daily, and speed post to Delhi. The newspaper is the largest and most variable item, so ask two or three papers for classified rates before booking.
Why is a child's gazette Rs 1,700 when an adult pays Rs 1,100?
They are different categories in the Department of Publication's fee schedule: Rs 1,100 for an adult and Rs 1,700 for a minor. There is no discount and no way to file a child's case in the adult category.
Can I use the cheaper West Bengal state gazette for my child?
No, and this is the point most cost pages miss. The Kolkata Gazette Part II is for applicants aged 18 and above, so the Rs 1,100 state route is not open to a minor at all. Every child's name change goes through the Gazette of India at Rs 1,700.
Is the fee paid by demand draft?
No. Payment is made online through BharatKosh, the government's receipt portal, and the receipt goes into the file. Pages still telling you to prepare a demand draft in favour of a controller of publications in West Bengal are out of date.
What is the newspaper likely to cost?
It varies a great deal by title and by whether you book a plain classified text notice or a display box. Ask for classified text rates in one Bengali and one English daily, compare two or three, and book the smallest notice that carries the required wording. This is the single item where families overspend.
Are there extra charges for an alias or a second name?
The Department of Publication's schedule adds a charge for each additional alias. If you are simply changing the child's name, this does not arise; if the file carries an alias, ask before paying.
What does the school charge to update the record?
Normally nothing. You give the school the gazette page and the newspaper pages and it updates the admission register. If a board document already exists, the board's correction fee applies separately.
What does it cost to update the child's Aadhaar?
A demographic update such as a name is Rs 50 per UIDAI's schedule. The first biometric update is free between five and seven and about Rs 100 after that. Pay at the Kendra against a receipt.
Is a birth certificate correction cheaper than a gazette?
Much cheaper, and often free of the gazette entirely. A clerical error on the certificate is corrected by the Registrar that issued it, at the local body's own fee. If that is your actual problem, you do not need to spend Rs 1,700 at all.
Do I have to pay a lawyer for a court petition?
Not in an ordinary case. Where both parents agree, no petition is filed and no court fee arises. A petition and its costs belong to contested and custody cases only.
What is the realistic total?
For an agreed, straightforward child name change, most families spend the Rs 1,700 government fee plus the affidavit, two newspaper notices and postage. The spread between a careful booking and a careless one comes almost entirely from the newspaper choice.
How much do you charge?
It depends on the case, because a simple agreed filing and a case with a custody order and a board correction are not the same work. Send the documents on WhatsApp and we will quote before you spend anything. If your problem turns out to be a Registrar or board correction, we will tell you that and you pay us nothing.
Official Sources for Minor Name Change Fees
Department of Publication
deptpub.gov.in: the fee schedule by category, including the minor rate, and the document list.
BharatKosh
bharatkosh.gov.in: the Non-Tax Receipt Portal where the gazette fee is paid online.
Kolkata Gazette Part II guideline
Notification of 17 May 2023: the state route and its 18-and-above eligibility.
Minor and Child Name Change in West Bengal: The Complete Series
The parent’s guide, then everything that follows: the birth certificate, the affidavit, the marksheet, the child’s Aadhaar, whether a court order is needed, and what it all costs.
Gazette Name Change for a Minor
The parent’s guide: central route, Rs 1,700, documents and timing.
Read →Child’s Birth Certificate
Registrar correction, adding a name, or a gazette case.
Read →Affidavit for a Minor
Two different affidavits, clause by clause, and who signs.
Read →Marksheet and School Certificate
WBBSE Form 02 and the WBCHSE portal, through your school.
Read →Child’s Aadhaar
Seva Kendra visit, the two-changes limit and the biometric deadlines.
Read →Court Order: When It Is Needed
Usually not. The four situations that genuinely need one.
Read →Get Call and Name Change Format
Ask What It Will Cost Before You Spend Anything
Send the child's birth certificate and tell us what needs to change. We will say whether it is a Registrar correction, a board correction or a gazette, and quote our own charge for the case before you commit. If no gazette is needed, we tell you and you pay us nothing. Monday to Saturday.