ECHS Card Name Correction for Ex-Servicemen in West Bengal
An ECHS smart card is checked against what your Record Office holds. So a wrong name on the card is fixed in two places: first in the Record Office documents and PPO, then on the card through the "Change in Data" option on the ECHS portal, which the Record Office verifies before reprinting. The Army's December 2024 order on PPO name changes tells you which proof each person needs: a gazette for officers, a Magistrate affidavit and newspaper notice for other ranks, and an affidavit for a spouse or dependant.
Get Call and Name Change Format
ECHS Card Name Correction (Quick Answer)
To correct a name on an ECHS card, first make sure your Record Office and PPO carry the right name, then log in to the ECHS card portal, block the card for "change in data", edit the field and pay if it is a paid field, reported at Rs 177 per card. The Record Office verifies it before reprint. For the PPO, officers need a gazette; other ranks a Magistrate affidavit and newspaper notice.
| Whose name | Proof under the Dec 2024 Army order |
|---|---|
| Officer (own name change) | Gazette notification |
| JCO or Other Rank (own name change) | 1st Class Magistrate affidavit and English newspaper notice |
| Spouse or dependant | Application, ID, Magistrate affidavit for the surname or spelling |
| Only the card is wrong | Change in Data on the ECHS portal |
| Dependant already in Record Office | No extra documents for the card |
ECHS Card for Ex-Servicemen Living in West Bengal
The Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme gives medical care to pensioned ex-servicemen of the Army, Navy and Air Force and their dependants through ECHS polyclinics and empanelled hospitals. West Bengal has polyclinics in and around Kolkata and in several military stations across the state.
Each family member gets a smart card. Since 2022 the cards are the newer 64 KB smart cards, applied for and amended online.
A wrong name on the card can hold up a referral or a hospital bill. A name that differs from Aadhaar or the PPO can also hold up a pension or family pension.
Central government civilian pensioners use CGHS instead; see CGHS card name correction.
Where the Name on Your ECHS Card Comes From: Record Office Verification
The ECHS card portal lets the ex-serviceman fill in the data, but the Record Office verifies it before the card is printed. So the card can only be as right as the record held by your Record Office, and the PPO that follows it.
ECHS FAQs say that if a dependant's name is already recorded in the Record Office, you need not upload that dependant's documents again for the card. The reverse is also true: if the Record Office has it wrong, fix that first.
Check your PPO, your discharge book or service documents, and your Aadhaar side by side before you start.
Change in Data on the 64 KB ECHS Smart Card: Block, Correct, Reissue
ECHS's instruction on changing data after a 64 KB card is printed sets out three steps. Log in to the card portal and block the card, choosing "due to change in data". Open Change in Data and edit the fields. Then the application is verified by the Record Office before reprint.
Fields shown in green can be changed free. Fields shown in yellow need an online payment, reported at Rs 177 per card. If the primary beneficiary changes a yellow field, all dependants' cards are blocked too and payment is needed for each.
While the new card is pending, you can print a temporary slip and have it countersigned by the Officer in Charge of your polyclinic to keep using ECHS.
PPO Name Change for Ex-Servicemen: The December 2024 Army Order
The Adjutant General's Branch, Army HQ, issued a uniform procedure on 11 December 2024 for changing a name or date of birth in a defence PPO. It sets the proof by category.
For an officer changing a name: a gazette notification. For JCOs and other ranks: an affidavit from a 1st Class Magistrate with a newspaper advertisement in an English newspaper. Both also give copies of PAN and Aadhaar and pension account details.
A date of birth of the ex-serviceman is not changed unless it corrects a bona fide mistake against the enrolment or commissioning records. Navy and Air Force pensioners should ask their own record offices, which may follow similar rules.
Spouse and Dependant Names on the ECHS Card and PPO: Magistrate Affidavit
For a spouse or dependant whose surname or spelling differs, the 2024 order asks for a personal application, self-attested ID, and a Magistrate affidavit explaining the surname or spelling change. For a dependant's date of birth it accepts ID such as PAN, passport, Aadhaar, driving licence or a school certificate, with a declaration on stamp paper, and a birth certificate for children.
A wife whose name is in the PPO in her maiden form and on Aadhaar in her married form is one example. The marriage certificate helps; see marriage certificate correction if it has a mistake.
Once the Record Office has the right name, the ECHS card change is simple.
Kolkata Gazette Part II for an Ex-Serviceman Living in West Bengal
If a gazette is asked for, an ex-serviceman living in West Bengal can use the Kolkata Gazette Part II, unless the Record Office asks for the Gazette of India in writing.
Swear an affidavit before a First Class Judicial Magistrate; publish a notice in one Bengali and one English newspaper and keep the full pages; apply at wbgazettepart2.in with ID (up to 2 MB) and photo (up to 100 KB); pay Rs 1,100 on GRIPS; the notification usually comes in about 7 days with an SMS. The same Magistrate affidavit and English newspaper notice also meet the order's need for other ranks. See Kolkata Gazette Part II online application.
Gazette of India for an Officer's Name Change
Officers are usually expected to publish in the Gazette of India. Ask your Record Office which it wants before you spend money.
The seven steps: make a name change affidavit before a notary; publish a newspaper notice and keep the original page; fill the typed proforma with two witnesses; you and both witnesses sign in the old name; pay on BharatKosh Rs 1,100 for an adult, Rs 1,700 for a minor or Rs 3,500 from abroad (revised each financial year, non-refundable); post the file in your own name to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054, since agents cannot submit it; and after 30 to 45 days download it free from egazette.gov.in.
A gazette is supporting proof. The Record Office, PCDA and ECHS each update their own record.
Mistakes With ECHS Card Name Corrections
Changing the card before the Record Office
Verification will fail.
A notary affidavit for other ranks
The order asks for a 1st Class Magistrate.
Forgetting dependants' cards
A yellow field change blocks them all.
Expecting a DOB change for yourself
Only bona fide errors are corrected.
No temporary slip
Get it countersigned to keep treatment going.
Wrong gazette
Ask the Record Office which one it wants.
How to Correct a Name on an ECHS Card, in Order
Compare PPO, card and Aadhaar
Note every difference.
Get the right proof
Gazette, Magistrate affidavit or marriage certificate.
Correct the Record Office and PPO
Through your Record Office.
Block the card for change in data
On the ECHS card portal.
Edit and pay if needed
Yellow fields need payment.
Use the temporary slip
Until the new card arrives.
ECHS Card Name Correction: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I correct my name on an ECHS card?
Make sure the Record Office and PPO have the right name, then block the card for change in data on the ECHS card portal, edit, pay if needed, and wait for Record Office verification.
Is there a fee to change data on an ECHS card?
Green fields are free. Yellow fields need payment, reported at Rs 177 per card.
Who verifies the change?
The Record Office verifies it before the card is reprinted.
Can I use ECHS while my card is blocked?
Yes. Print the temporary slip and get it countersigned by the Officer in Charge of your polyclinic.
What proof does an officer need to change a name in the PPO?
A gazette notification, under the Army's December 2024 uniform procedure.
What proof does a JCO or other rank need?
An affidavit from a 1st Class Magistrate and an advertisement in an English newspaper.
My wife's name differs between the PPO and Aadhaar. What should I do?
Apply to the Record Office with her ID and a Magistrate affidavit explaining the difference, then update the ECHS card.
Can my own date of birth be changed?
Only to correct a bona fide mistake against your enrolment or commissioning records.
Do I need to upload my son's documents again?
Not if his name is already recorded in the Record Office, as the ECHS FAQs say.
Kolkata Gazette or Gazette of India?
Ask your Record Office. Officers are usually expected to use the Gazette of India.
Is ECHS the same as CGHS?
No. ECHS is for ex-servicemen; CGHS is for central civilian staff and pensioners.
Can I get free legal help if my name problem is complex?
Yes. The District Legal Services Authority in your district gives free legal aid to eligible people.
Official Sources for ECHS Card Corrections
ECHS: Change in Data on 64 KB Card
echs.gov.in: block, edit, Record Office verification.
Army Order on PPO Name and DOB (Dec 2024)
staffnews.in summary: proof by category.
ECHS Card FAQs
staffnews.in: dependants already recorded.
Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme
echs.gov.in: official scheme site.
Get Call and Name Change Format
ECHS Card Name Correction: Get Your PPO, Record Office and Card to Match
Send us how the names read on your PPO, ECHS card and Aadhaar. If only the card is wrong, the portal fix is simple and we will tell you so. If you need a Magistrate affidavit, newspaper notice or gazette, we will help prepare it. Monday to Saturday, across West Bengal.