The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has 29.88 crore account holders. Given the high volume of users, EPFO has been grappling with its overstrained IT infrastructure lately and is changing its IT systems and procedures to fast-track claim settlements, transactions, etc., which have gotten delayed in many cases due to reasons like incomplete or incorrect details and sometimes, technical glitches in EPFO. To rectify them, members will have to resubmit the details or submit new documents if there is any change in their previous submitted records.

In that case, members can submit online requests for change in their name, gender, parents’ name, marital status, and date of birth, among others.

Here are some of the documents a member must produce for any change in the records.

Also Read: NPS Diwas: Why NPS Should Be A Key Part Of Your Financial Plan

What Is Minor and Major Changes In Name?

Minor Change:

• A minor change means cosmetic changes in letters, and the sound does not change, for example, from Vinit to Vineet.

• If titles such as Dr., Ms., Mrs., or Shri are to be removed, it is considered a minor change, for example, from Dr Sarita Sahni to Sarita Sahni.

Major Change:

• If there is a change in more than two alphabets, it will be considered a major change. For instance, Ridhi to Riddhima.

• If the name is inserted for the first time or expands from Rajesh to Rajesh Kumar.

• If the change is less than three alphabets but the sound of the name changes, it is considered a major change.

Documents needed to change name and gender:

• Aadhaar Card

• Passport

• Birth certificate

• Death certificate

• Driving License

• Service photo ID card issued by government/PSU/Banks

• School leaving certificate or school transfer certificate or mark sheet.

• PAN card

• Voter ID card

• Pensioner photo ID card

• CGHS, ECHS, or mediclaim card issued by the centre government, state government, or PSUs. These documents should have the member’s photo on it.

• The bank passbook bears the name and photo of the member and is stamped by the bank.

• SC/ST/OBC certificate with photograph

• Valid Visa along with foreign passport issued in case of foreign nationals

• Freedom fighter card bearing a photo

• Copy of Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card issued by the government of India

• Copy of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card issued by the government of India

• Tibetan Refugee card along with one more ID

• For a change in the first name or full name, a gazette notification of the new name is to be submitted along with any other supporting document of the old name with a photograph.

  For a name change, any of the three documents are needed for a major change and any of the two for a minor change. For gender change, only two documents from the list are required.

Change In Parents’ Name:

It requires at least three documents for a major change and two documents for a minor change, from the following:

• Passport of a member

• Aadhaar card bearing the name of father/ mother/ spouse

• PAN Card

• Driving License

• Birth certificates issued by municipal corporations, Tehsil, Taluk, or other government bodies or notified local bodies.

• 10th or 12th certificate or mark sheet of the member bearing father or mother’s name on it

• CGHS, ECHS, or mediclaim card issued by the centre government, state government, or PSUs. These documents should have the member’s photo on it.

• Pension card in case of pensioner

• Marriage certificate issued by the government

• Ration card or the Public Distribution System (PDS) card

• Member’s photo ID card issued by central or state government, such as Jan-Aadhaar, MGNREGA, Army Canteen, Bhamashah, etc.

Also Read: What Is EPFO’s Prayaas Yojana For EPS-95 Members? Know Its Objectives

Change In Marital Status:

To change marital status details, any three documents are required for major changes and two documents for minor changes. The documents required to be submitted are:

• Marriage certificates issued by government bodies

• Aadhaar card

• Divorce Decree

• Passport

• Ration card or PDS Card

• Voter ID Card

• Affidavit on oath by the members duly notarized

What Are Major And Minor Changes In Marital Status?

Any change after a member’s death is a major change, else it will be a minor change.

Change In Date of Birth:

The document needed for change in date of birth:

• Birth certificate

• School leaving certificate school transfer certificate mark sheet or SSC certificate bearing name and date of birth.

• Certificate of service records issued by central or state governments

• Aadhaar card

• In the absence of proof of date of birth, a Medical certificate issued by a civil surgeon, and an affidavit on oath by a duly notarized member

• Passport

• PAN card

• Pension Payment Order (PPO) by central or state government

• Ration card or PDS card

• Domicile certificate

• CGHS/ECHS/Mediclaim card issued by central government, state government, union territories, and public sector undertaking bearing photograph and date of birth.

What Are Major And Minor Changes In DOB?

If the change in DOB is for more than three years, it will be considered a major change, and up to three years, a minor change. For example, a change in DOB from 10.04.2004 to 10.04 2006 will be considered a minor change.

Note that one can change these personal details once in your entire service, and only marital status can be changed twice.