The Delhi High Court has held that the records maintained by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) must not contradict a person’s passport, as such discrepancies could raise doubts about their identity, especially in matters of employment or immigration.

A Division Bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar observed:

“A citizen is entitled to a true and correct narration of all necessary and relevant particulars in public documents pertaining to them.”

The Court emphasized the importance of consistency in public records, noting that both the CBSE’s matriculation certificate and a passport are considered unassailable proof of date of birth.

The judgment came in an appeal filed by CBSE challenging a single judge’s direction to correct the date of birth of Prema Evelyn D Cruz in her secondary school certificate. D Cruz had relied on her birth certificate issued by the Greater Chennai Corporation to support her claim.

CBSE opposed the correction, arguing that:

• The request was time-barred under its Bye-laws.

• Records had likely been destroyed under the Weeding Out Rules, 1998, which permit discarding documents after ten years.

In response, D Cruz contended that:

• The limitation period or loss of documents cannot override the authenticity of public documents.

• Her birth certificate was a valid statutory document carrying a presumption of correctness under law.

Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in Jigya Yadav v. CBSE, the High Court reaffirmed that official documents like birth certificates enjoy statutory validity. It stated there was no cogent reason for CBSE to disregard D Cruz’s birth certificate.

“If the CBSE record is at variance with the passport, it could lead to considerable doubt in the minds of any person considering her for employment, immigration or any other purpose,” the Court said.

The Bench further stressed the need for consistency across official documents, noting that such harmony preserves a citizen’s identity and prevents jeopardizing their future opportunities.

The Court upheld the single judge’s decision and dismissed CBSE’s appeal, directing the Board to make the necessary corrections.

Case Title: Central Board of Secondary Education v. Prema Evelyn D Cruz and Anr