Chennai: Pointing out that any correction in the date of birth, name or initial has to be made before completing the SSLC examination as per the rules, the Madras high court has declined to direct the authorities to make correction in the mark sheets of a student, who wanted to pursue his higher studies in Jipmer.
Justice N.Kirubakaran dismissed the petition filed by the student B. Karunakaran. The judge said the petitioner said to have born on January 16, 1992, however, at the time of admission into the school, the petitioner’s date of birth was given as January 19, 1989. The petitioner completed his SSLC and HSC in the year 2006 and 2009. The duplicate transfer certificate obtained from the school reflects the date of birth as January 16, 1992, whereas the SSLC and HSC certificates reflect the date of birth as January 16, 1989. Hence, the petitioner filed a petition for issuance of birth certificate.
Allowing the petition, a magistrate in Vanur directed the board to issue birth certificate reflecting the date of birth as January 16, 1992. Based on which, he made a representation to the board to correct the date of birth in the mark sheets. Since, it has not been considered, he filed the present petition, the judge added.
The judge said as per Rule 5 of the Secondary School Leaving Certificate Rules, any correction in the date of birth, name or initial has to be made before completing the SSLC examination. Therefore, the board has got no jurisdiction to make correction in the SSLC and HSC mark sheets. No enquiry has been conducted by the criminal court and the only evidence available before the criminal court was the statement made by the petitioner. The criminal court has no jurisdiction to direct the board to issue such certificate. “If that is going to be encouraged, anybody can approach the criminal court and correct the date of birth according to their convenience. This kind of issuing certificate has been discouraged by this court. Other than the criminal court order, there is no record available to correct the date of birth of the petitioner as January 16, 1992. Even otherwise, Rule 5 of the SSLC Rules is a bar for making correction in the school records”, the judge added and dismissed the petition.
