Hansa Pant @ Harshita Pant vs State Of Uttarakhand & Others

Manoj Kumar Tiwari, J

Petitioner has filed this writ petition seeking the following relief:-

(A) To issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus commanding and directing the respondent authorities to forthwith correct the name of petitioner in her High School and Intermediate marksheets and certificates as Hansa Pant to Harshita Pant.

According to petitioner, her name needs to be corrected as “Harshita Pant”, while in her educational certificates, her name is recorded as “Hansa Pant”. For the purpose, she has made an application to Uttarakhand Board of School Education, Ramnagar on 11.03.2023. Since no decision is being taken on the said application, therefore, petitioner has approached this Court. Reliance has been placed upon a judgment rendered by Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Jigya Yadav through her father vs C.B.S.E., reported in (2021) 7 SCC 535.

Mr. V.S. Rawat, learned counsel appearing for Uttarakhand Board of School Education assures the Court that decision on petitioner’s application, for change of name, shall be taken expeditiously.

Mr. Maneesh Bisht, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner be permitted to make fresh application, and the Competent Authority be directed to take decision on the same, within some stipulated time frame.

Accordingly, writ petition is disposed of by permitting petitioner to make application/representation to the Competent Authority in the Uttarakhand Board of School Education, Ramnagar. If such application is made within three weeks’ from today, decision thereupon shall be taken by the Competent Authority as early as possible, but not later than three months from the date of production of certified copy of this order.