ROMIL SURESHBHAI PATEL Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By way of the present petition, the petitioner has prayed to direct the respondent No.4 i.e. the Principal, Shree Samanvay Higher Secondary School, Bhambhan to correct the date of birth of the petitioner as 12.08.1994 in the General Register of School and has also prayed to issue directions to issue fresh School Leaving Certificate. The petitioner has also prayed for a direction to the respondent no.5 i.e. Secretary, Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board to consider the application of the respondent No.4 dated 16.03.2020 for correction of SSC Certificate of the petitioner by correcting the date of birth i.e. 12.08.1994.

(2.) Mr. Dave, learned advocate appearing for the petitioner would submit that the actual date of birth of the petitioner is 12.08.1994 but due to some inadvertence, the same was wrongly mentioned as 22.08.1994 in the General Register of the school during admission of the petitioner at the relevant point of time. Thereafter, the petitioner was selected as Senior Engineer (Instrumentation) and during the verification of the documents it was found that the date of birth of the petitioner in the SSC Certificate is mentioned as 22.08.1994 whereas the other documents show the date of birth as 12.08.1994. Hence, the petitioner made an application dated 13.03.2020 to the respondent No.4 to rectify the said error and for issuance of fresh school leaving certificate. Thereafter, the petitioner was informed that the SSC marksheet of the petitioner is sent for correction of date of birth to the respondent No.5 and the petitioner will be informed soon. However, the petitioner was orally informed by the respondent no.4 that his request is rejected. Hence, he has requested to pass appropriate orders.

(3.) Mr. Dave has also relied upon the decision of this Court in the case of Vasudev Prahladbhai Patel vs. State of Gujarat reported in 2019(2) GLR 1474 wherein it has been held by this Court that birth certificate issued by competent authority under the provisions of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act , 1969 is a statutory certificate which has very high evidentiary value and accordingly, directed the concerned authority to correct the date of birth of the petitioner of that petition.