One and the Same Person Affidavit in West Bengal: When It Works and How to Make One
Your Madhyamik certificate says Chattopadhyay, your Aadhaar says Chatterjee, and the bank says S. Chatterjee. You have not changed your name. You need a short sworn statement that all these versions are one person. That is a one and the same person affidavit. It is not a name change, so it needs no gazette and no newspaper. This page shows when it is enough, how to make it on West Bengal stamp paper, and when it will be refused.
Get Call and Name Change Format
One and the Same Person Affidavit (Quick Answer)
A one and the same person affidavit is a sworn statement that two or more versions of your name, such as a different spelling, an initial, a missing middle name, a reversed order or a maiden and married name, all belong to you. In West Bengal it is usually typed on Rs 10 or Rs 50 non-judicial stamp paper and signed before a notary. Some offices ask for a Magistrate instead, so ask the office first. It does not change any record and it does not give you a new name. If you want a new name, or the office refuses the affidavit, you need a gazette notification.
| What your documents show | Affidavit enough? | What else |
|---|---|---|
| Chatterjee on one, Chattopadhyay on another | Usually yes | Both are legitimate forms of one surname |
| S. K. Das on one, Sanjay Kumar Das on another | Usually yes | Attach both documents |
| Surname first on one, last on another | Usually yes | No gazette needed |
| Maiden name on old papers, married name now | Often yes | Attach the marriage certificate |
| A completely different name | No | Gazette notification |
| Aadhaar update | No | One photo ID in the right name |
What a One and the Same Person Affidavit Is in West Bengal
An affidavit is a written statement you swear to be true. A one and the same person affidavit says one thing: these different versions of a name are all me. You list each version, list the documents that carry it, and declare that they refer to one person.
People also call it a same person affidavit, an identity affidavit or a name mismatch affidavit. It is the same document.
It is important to know what it is not. It is not a name change. You are not taking a new name. You are explaining a name you already have.
It also does not correct anything. Your Madhyamik certificate, your PAN and your bank record stay exactly as they are. The affidavit is a bridge document: it helps one office accept that another office wrote your name differently. Like a gazette, it is supporting proof, not a correction.
When a Same Person Affidavit Is Enough for a Name Mismatch
The affidavit works when nothing about your name really changed, and the difference is only in how it was written. These are the common West Bengal cases:
- Spelling forms: Debnath and Devnath, Biswas and Bishwas, Subhas and Shubhash. Bengali sounds are written in English in more than one way.
- Initials: S. K. Das on a bank passbook and Sanjay Kumar Das on a passport.
- Order: surname first on a marksheet and last on Aadhaar. Our name order guide explains why this is not an error at all.
- Middle name: Kumar or Chandra on one document and missing on another.
- Prefixes and titles: Md, Mohd, Sk or Sheikh on one record and the full form on another; Devi, Dasi or Kumari on one and not the other.
- Maiden and married names: old papers in your father's surname and new ones in your husband's. Attach the marriage certificate with the affidavit.
- A parent's name written two ways across your own documents, where the parent is clearly the same person.
Banks, employers, insurance companies, universities, EPFO claims, property registration and many recruitment boards accept this affidavit for such differences. But each office decides for itself. Ask before you swear anything.
When a One and the Same Person Affidavit Will Not Work
Most wasted money on this topic comes from using the affidavit where it has no power. It will not help in these cases:
You want a new name
If you are changing your name, not explaining it, you need a gazette notification. A same person affidavit cannot create a new name.
Aadhaar updates
Aadhaar does not take an affidavit as proof of identity. It needs one photo ID that already carries the name you want. See our Aadhaar name change guide.
Correcting the record itself
If you want your marksheet, PAN or voter ID to show the right spelling, apply to that office. The affidavit only explains the difference; it does not fix it.
A passport name change
The passport office decides each case. For a true change of name it usually wants a gazette. For small spelling differences it often looks at your supporting public documents. Read our passport guide before you apply.
The office has said no in writing
Some offices will not accept an affidavit at all. Then the gazette is the next step, and the routes are below.
Bengali Surnames in Two Forms: Chatterjee or Chattopadhyay
Many Bengali surnames have two correct forms: an older full form and a shorter English form. Chattopadhyay and Chatterjee, Bandyopadhyay and Banerjee, Mukhopadhyay and Mukherjee, Gangopadhyay and Ganguly. Both forms are genuine. Neither is a mistake.
Families often have both on their papers. A grandfather's land record says Bandyopadhyay. A father's Madhyamik certificate says Banerjee. Your Aadhaar says Banerji.
Because nothing is wrong, there is usually nothing to correct and nothing to change by gazette. This is the exact case the same person affidavit was made for.
Write both forms in the affidavit, list where each one appears, and name the form you use now. Our name spelling correction guide explains how to pick the anchor document.
How to Make a One and the Same Person Affidavit in West Bengal
Ask the office that raised the problem
Ask whether it accepts a one and the same person affidavit, the stamp paper value it wants, and whether a notary is enough or it wants a Magistrate. This one question saves most of the cost.
List every version of your name
Write down each spelling or form, and the document that carries it, with the document number. Do not leave one out; an office can refuse an affidavit that misses a version it can see.
Choose your anchor name
Pick the version you will use from now on. Usually it is the name on your Class 10 certificate or your passport, because those are hardest to change.
Buy West Bengal stamp paper
Non-judicial stamp paper of Rs 10 or Rs 50 is common. Buy the value the office asked for.
Type the affidavit
Use the format below. Keep it short and clear. Type it; avoid handwriting.
Sign before a notary or Magistrate
Take your original ID. Sign in front of the notary, or the Magistrate if the office asked for one.
Submit it with copies
Attach self-attested copies of the documents that show each version of the name. Keep a copy and the receipt.
One and the Same Person Affidavit Format: What to Write
There is no single government form. Offices look for the same points, in plain words:
- Your details: full name, father's or husband's name, age and full address in West Bengal.
- Each version of the name: written exactly as it appears, letter for letter.
- Where each version appears: the document name and its number, for example "Madhyamik certificate, roll and number ..." or "PAN ...".
- The declaration: that all these names refer to one and the same person, you.
- The name you use now: so the office knows which version to record.
- Purpose, if the office wants it: for example "for my bank KYC" or "for my EPF claim".
- Verification: the place, the date and a line that the contents are true to your knowledge.
Sign it the way your main ID shows your signature. If the office asks you to sign in both names, do what it asks.
Notary or Magistrate for a Same Person Affidavit in Kolkata and West Bengal
For a one and the same person affidavit, a notary is usually enough. You will find notaries around every court in the state, from the courts in Kolkata to the sub-divisional courts in the districts.
Some offices, often government departments, ask for an affidavit sworn before a Magistrate. Follow what the office says.
Do not mix this up with the name change affidavit for the Kolkata Gazette Part II. That one must be sworn before a First Class Judicial Magistrate, and the portal asks for the affidavit number and the Magistrate's name. A notary will not do for that route. Our Kolkata affidavit guide covers both.
The "One and Same Certificate" From the SDO in West Bengal
Some websites say that a Sub-Divisional Officer in West Bengal issues a "one and same certificate" on application, within a few days, with the documents that show each version of the name and a self-declaration affidavit.
We could not find an official West Bengal notification that sets out this certificate, its form or its fee, so we will not guess. What we can say: if an office asks you for a "one and same certificate", ask that office which authority it means, then ask your SDO office whether it issues one. Where an affidavit is accepted, it is usually the quicker and cheaper path.
Cost of a One and the Same Person Affidavit in West Bengal
Stamp paper: usually Rs 10 or Rs 50, as the office asks.
Notary fee: notaries set their own charge, and it varies by place. Ask the price before the notary starts.
Typing and copies: a small amount at any typing shop.
There is no government fee, no newspaper and no gazette fee, because this is not a name change.
You can do it yourself. If you want, we can draft it from your documents. Our charge is separate from the stamp paper and the notary fee, and we will tell you both numbers before you pay anything.
Common Mistakes With a Same Person Affidavit
Swearing it before asking the office
Some offices want a set stamp value, a set format or a Magistrate. Ask first, then make it once.
Leaving out a version of the name
If the office sees a third spelling that your affidavit does not mention, it can refuse the affidavit.
Paying for a gazette you do not need
A Chatterjee and Chattopadhyay difference is not a name change. Do not let anyone sell you a gazette for it without first trying the affidavit.
Changing Aadhaar to match first
Aadhaar allows a name change only twice in a lifetime. Do not spend one on a difference an affidavit can explain.
Thinking the affidavit fixed your records
It did not. Every record still shows what it showed before. Correct the record at its own office if the mismatch keeps causing trouble.
When the Affidavit Is Refused: Gazette Name Change in West Bengal
If an office refuses the affidavit, or you actually want a new name, the gazette is the next step. West Bengal has two routes. Our gazette guide helps you choose.
Kolkata Gazette Part II (state route, adults living in West Bengal)
Affidavit before a Magistrate
A name change affidavit sworn before a First Class Judicial Magistrate.
Two newspapers
One Bengali and one English newspaper. Keep the complete pages.
Apply online
At wbgazettepart2.in, with ID up to 2 MB and a photo up to 100 KB.
Pay on GRIPS
Rs 1,100.
Download
Usually in about 7 days, with an SMS on your registered mobile.
Gazette of India (central route, for passport cases, minors and people living outside West Bengal)
Notary affidavit
A name change affidavit on stamp paper before a notary.
Newspaper notice
Keep the original page, not a clipping.
Typed proforma
Fill it in, with two witnesses.
Sign in the old name
You and both witnesses sign in the old name.
Pay on BharatKosh
Rs 1,100 for an adult, Rs 1,700 for a minor, Rs 3,500 from abroad. Revised each financial year and non-refundable.
Post it to Delhi
In your own name, to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi 110054. Agents cannot submit it.
Download it free
After 30 to 45 days at egazette.gov.in. The downloaded copy needs no certification.
One and the Same Person Affidavit: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a one and the same person affidavit?
It is a sworn statement that two or more versions of your name, such as a different spelling, an initial or a maiden name, all belong to you. It explains a mismatch. It does not change your name or correct any record.
Do I need a gazette if my name is spelt differently on two documents?
Usually not. If nothing about your name really changed, a one and the same person affidavit is normally enough. A gazette is for a real change of name, or for when an office refuses the affidavit.
Which stamp paper is used in West Bengal?
Non-judicial stamp paper of Rs 10 or Rs 50 is common. Ask the office that wants the affidavit which value it needs, and buy that.
Is a notary enough, or do I need a Magistrate?
A notary is usually enough for this affidavit. Some government offices ask for a Magistrate. The name change affidavit for the Kolkata Gazette Part II is different: it must be sworn before a First Class Judicial Magistrate.
My Madhyamik certificate says Chattopadhyay and my Aadhaar says Chatterjee. What should I do?
Both are genuine forms of one surname, so nothing is wrong. A one and the same person affidavit listing both forms and the documents that carry them is the usual answer. Ask the office in front of you whether it accepts it.
I have three different names on three documents. Will one affidavit cover all of them?
Yes, if they are all versions of the same name. List all three in one affidavit, with the document that carries each. If one of them is a completely different name, that part needs a gazette.
Will the passport office accept a same person affidavit?
The passport office decides each case. For small spelling differences it usually looks at your supporting public documents. For a true change of name it usually wants a gazette notification. Check before you apply.
Can I use this affidavit to update my Aadhaar?
No. Aadhaar needs one photo ID that already shows the name you want. An affidavit is not accepted as proof of identity there.
Does the affidavit correct my marksheet or PAN?
No. Every record stays as it is. To change a record, apply to the office that issued it. The affidavit only explains why two records look different.
How long is a same person affidavit valid?
There is no fixed expiry in law, but some offices ask for a recently sworn affidavit. If yours is old, ask the office whether it will still accept it.
What is the "one and same certificate" from the SDO?
Some websites say SDO offices in West Bengal issue such a certificate. We could not find an official notification for it. If an office asks for one, ask that office which authority it means, and check with your SDO office.
Can I make this affidavit myself?
Yes. Any notary can attest it, and the format above covers what offices look for. You only need help if your case has many documents or an office has already refused it.
Official Sources for a Same Person Affidavit in West Bengal
The office asking you
The bank, employer, board or department that raised the mismatch. It decides whether it accepts the affidavit, and it answers for free.
UIDAI
uidai.gov.in: the documents Aadhaar accepts for a name update.
Passport Seva
passportindia.gov.in: what the passport office asks for when names differ.
Kolkata Gazette Part II
wbgazettepart2.in: the state route when you need a real name change.
eGazette of India
egazette.gov.in: the central route and free downloads of published notifications.
Get Call and Name Change Format
Send Us Every Version of Your Name
Tell us how your name reads on each document and which office is asking. Often the answer is a simple affidavit you can make yourself, and we will say so. Where an office has already refused it, we will tell you which gazette route fits. Monday to Saturday, across West Bengal.