One and Same Person Affidavit Guide
The Legal Instrument to Harmonise Name Variations Across Historical Documents
It is exceedingly common in India for an individual's name to be recorded with slight variations across different eras: an expanded name on an engineering degree, an abbreviated initial on a PAN card, and a single given name on an Aadhaar card. A 'One and Same Person' Affidavit provides the legal reconciliation.
Understanding the Legal Foundations in India
When applying for provident fund (EPFO) settlements, insurance death claims, property ancestral mutations, or visa background checks, administrative officers frequently halt processing upon discovering minor discrepancies—such as 'Rajesh Kumar Sharma' vs 'Rajesh K. Sharma' or 'Rajesh Sharma'.
Rather than undergoing an arduous complete re-issuance of past educational degrees or legacy land records, Indian administrative jurisprudence permits the execution of a 'One and Same Person' Affidavit (also termed an Affidavit of Dual Identity). This sworn instrument formally testifies under penalty of perjury that all listed name variations refer exclusively to one and the same living person.
The Applicable Legal Roadmap
Follow each stage in sequential order to guarantee that your documentation is accepted without administrative friction.
Compilation of All Name Variants
List every variation of your name exactly as it appears across your different documents (e.g., Variant A on Class 10 marksheet, Variant B on PAN card, Variant C on Aadhaar).
Drafting the Sworn Declarations
Draft the affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper linking each specific document number with its corresponding name variant, affirming that they all identify one individual.
Execution Before Judicial/Executive Magistrate or Notary
Deponent appears personally before a Notary Public or Executive Magistrate with all original supporting documents for verification and attestation.
Certified True Copies for Multiple Submissions
Prepare multiple notarized true copies of the executed affidavit to submit across respective institutions (e.g., EPFO regional office, bank branch, insurance desk).
Resolution of Pending Claims & Records
Submit the affidavit alongside a formal covering letter to the requesting authority to clear document verification holds.
Required Documents Checklist
Assemble the following original documents and self-attested photocopies before initiating your application.
Critical Safeguards
- • A 'One and Same Person' affidavit does NOT change your legal name for the future; it merely reconciles past records that contain divergent spellings or initials.
- • If you wish to establish one permanent, unified name across all current and future IDs, you should proceed with a full Gazette of India Name Change instead.
- • EPFO and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) offices routinely accept this affidavit to release stalled gratuity, pension, or claim proceeds.
Avoid These Mistakes
- ✕ Failing to explicitly cite the document numbers (e.g., PAN number, Aadhaar number, Roll number) corresponding to each name variant in the text.
- ✕ Using this affidavit when the name discrepancy is fundamentally different (e.g., entirely different first and last names), which requires a formal name change.
- ✕ Submitting an affidavit attested by an unregistered or unverified person.
Frequently Asked Questions
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