The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), if there is a request for change in the name of the spouse in PPO, it is to be sorted out directly with the applicant following the rules prescribed by the DoPT in office memorandum in March 1987. The recent office memorandum issued by DoPPW issues clarification through the office memorandum dated October 24, regarding requests and complaints regarding change in the name of family pensioner.

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Key Points In The DoPPW's OM:

• The CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021, or CCS (Pension) Rules, 1971, do not prescribe any separate procedure for the change in the name or surname of the government employee or spouse in the pension payment order (PPO). The PPO is required after retirement to get a pension. It is issued based on the service record or the service book of the employee

• As per the OM of DoPPW, “The maintenance of service book is concerned with DoPT”

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• To resolve complaints regarding changing the name of an employee or a family pensioner, the matter was discussed in the review meeting held with inter-ministerial officials

• Considering the pending grievances in the Centralised Pension Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS), which is a system for a pensioner to raise their grievances, it was informed to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation that they refer to the DoPT’s OM dated March 12, 1987

• In case, the ministry finds any discrepancy in the documents submitted in support of the request by the complainant family pensioner to change name in the PPO, it may be sorted out directly with the family pensioner satisfying the prescribed conditions in the DoPT’s OM dated March 12, 1987

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Here is what the DoPT’s OM dated March 12, 1987, rules entailed.

For addition/deletion or change in name/surname:

The OM defined that if a government employee wants to change the name or make any modification to the existing name may do so, formally through a deep form. After deed execution, the change in name should be followed by the publishing of the name change in the local newspaper and the Gazette of India at the employee's expense. 

For an addition/change in surname only, on account of marriage/remarriage of a female Government employee:

For changing the name of a female government employee, she should formally intimate the appointing authority of her marriage and request for a change in surname. She can give particulars of her husband for making entries in the Service Book.

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For deletion of surname or reversion to maiden name on divorce/separation or death of the husband of female Government employee

To delete the surname or reversion to a maiden name, a female employee needs to inform the appointing authority about the changed marital status and make a formal request to change her name.