Change student's name, insisting on same in CBSE records impossibility: HC to DU

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Friday directed Delhi University to change the name of one of its students without insisting upon a change in his CBSE records, saying such a requirement amounted to "asking for the impossible".

Justice Jayant Nath said the student passed out from class 12 in 2018 and was seeking a change in his name in 2019 while he was a student of DU and therefore, asking him to first get the CBSE records changed was "a misplaced requirement and cannot be accepted".

The direction and observations came on the plea by Rayaan Singh, a Hindu College student, who sought a change of his name to Rayaan Chawla in his DU records.

He challenged DU's notification of 2015 which mandates that for change of name in the varsity records, the change has to be first effected in the certificate issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The student wanted to change his surname to adopt that of his mother as, according to his plea, his parents separated in 2007 and divorced in 2015 and throughout his life, he "never enjoyed any form of constructive relationship" with his father.

He had already published a declaration regarding the change of his name in two newspapers and the Gazette of India.'.

"The law would not require the petitioner to perform the impossible. The insistence of respondent No.1 (DU) to first get the name changed in the records of CBSE is a misplaced requirement and cannot be

accepted."