You won’t be able to repeatedly change your date of birth on your 10th-grade mark sheet; UP Board tightens rules.

The Uttar Pradesh Board of Education has implemented strict rules regarding the amendment of dates of birth on high school mark sheets. Henceforth, the date of birth will be recorded based solely on the valid proof of age submitted at the time of initial admission.

The Uttar Pradesh Board of Secondary Education has issued strict directives to schools regarding date-of-birth corrections on high school certificates and mark sheets. Schools must now record a student’s date of birth based exclusively on the valid proof of age submitted during their initial admission. Furthermore, any documents presented later to request a change in the date of birth will undergo rigorous scrutiny. Let us understand why the Board has tightened these regulations and what the complete process for recording the date of birth under the new rules will entail.

Stricter measures following instances of irregularities

The Board observed that in many cases, transfer certificates from primary or upper primary levels were being presented as proof of date of birth, even though the necessary information was unclear in the older records. In light of these issues, school principals have been instructed to maintain accurate records and verify the authenticity of the documents.

Date of birth to be determined at the time of admission

The Board has clarified that the date of birth recorded on high school certificates and mark sheets can no longer be altered arbitrarily. The date of birth must be recorded based on valid proof of age provided at the time of the student’s initial school admission. Principals must also ensure that the record of the document used to establish the date of birth at the time of admission is safely preserved by the school.

Secretary explains the underlying reason

According to the Board’s Secretary, Bhagwati Singh, numerous cases regarding date-of-birth corrections are being reported at regional offices. Investigations have revealed instances where attempts were made to alter the date of birth using transfer certificates issued at a later date as evidence. In some cases, the child did not even meet the minimum age requirement at the time of admission, and in many schools, the information was missing from the original records entirely. Documents Used to Determine Date of Birth

Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the prescribed age for admission to Class 1 is six years. If a birth certificate is unavailable at the time of admission, the child’s age may be determined based on hospital records, records from a Registered Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), Anganwadi records, or a birth/age certificate issued by the Gram Panchayat. Additionally, an affidavit submitted by the parents may also be accepted. The Council has clearly instructed schools to record the student’s date of birth based on these valid documents.

Rules for Correcting Documents

If the date of birth on a marksheet or certificate is incorrect, the rules prescribed by the Board must be followed to rectify it, as no shortcuts will be accepted. To do this, the student must visit the regional office of their Board and submit an application along with essential government documents, such as the original birth certificate and Aadhaar card. The Board has clarified that no changes to the date of birth will be made without authentic and genuine documents, ensuring that no one can manipulate their age by providing false information. Furthermore, the Board will scrutinize all such applications and documents submitted subsequently.