Kerala High Court: In a writ petition filed by petitioners challenging the order dated 13-05-2024 passed by the Controller of Examinations, , allowing the petitioners’ applications for change of name but rejected prayer for change of religion on their school certificate, V.G. Arun, J., allowed the writ petition and set aside the impugned order while observing that if a person exercises his right to practice any religion as guaranteed under Article 25(1) of the Constitution, necessary corrections should be made in their records to reflect the same.
The petitioners were born to Hindu parents and practiced the Hindu religion till May 2017. The petitioners decided to convert to Christianity in the year 2017, and underwent baptism at the Malankara Catholic Church, Mavelikara.
Upon conversion, the petitioners decided to change their religion in their school certificate, hence, they published a notification to that effect in the Gazette. Thereafter, the petitioners approached respondent 2 seeking to have their name and religion changed in the school certificates, by way of an application.
The petitioners’ request for change of name was allowed, however, their request for change of religion in the school certificate was rejected by the Controller of Examinations by way of the impugned order, on the premise that there existed no provision for enabling such a change in the school certificate.
The petitioners contended that even in the absence of a provision for enabling such a change, the Court was vested with powers under Article 226 of the Constitution to affect such a prayer.
The State submitted that there were Government orders which stood in the way of the petitioners’ prayer for change of religion being granted.
Upon hearing both parties, the Court said that even if it were to be accepted that there was no provision that would enable the change of religion that had been entered in school certificates, a person could not be tied down to one religion merely by reason of his birth.
The Court said that the freedom to practice and profess any religion of choice was guaranteed by Article 25(1) of the Constitution, and if a person exercises such freedom to practice a different religion, necessary corrections should be made to reflect the same in his records.
The Court referred to Naveed M.C v. State of Kerala1 wherein it had been observed that refusal to carry out the corrections will have an adverse impact on the future of the applicants. The Court said that such a rigid approach goes against the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
The Court, therefore, allowed the writ and set aside the impugned order. The Court further directed Controller of Examination to correct the entries regarding religion of the petitioners in their school certificates within a month of receipt of certified copy of the judgment.
[Lohith S. v. State of Kerala, 2024 SCC OnLine Ker 4006, decided on 09-07-2024]
Advocates who appeared in this case :
Advocate for petitioners: T.K. Ananda Krishnan, Advocate
Advocate for State: Deepa Narayanan, Sr. Government Pleader
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1. WP(C).No.3832 of 2021
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