Bombay High Court

SUJATA PRAKASHRAO ACHMAREversusTHE DIVISIONAL SECRETARY MAHARASHTRA STATE BOARD OF SECONDARY AND HIGHER SECON EDU LATUR AND ORS

Disposal: DISPOSED OFF

Holding

The headmaster lacks authority to decide the correction and must forward the application to the Education Officer, who is the competent authority.

Summary

Sujata Prakashrao Achmare filed a writ petition seeking correction of her birth date in the school’s records. The headmaster (Respondent No.4) denied the request, asserting he could decide the matter. The petitioner contended that the headmaster is required to forward such applications to the Education Officer, who alone has the competence to decide. The Court held that it is well‑settled that the headmaster must refer the application to the Education Officer and therefore quashed the impugned order dated 04/07/2025. The Court directed the headmaster to forward the petition within two weeks and the Education Officer to decide it within six weeks thereafter. The writ petition was thereafter disposed.

Issues considered

Whether the headmaster has the authority to approve correction of a student’s birth date in school records
Whether the Education Officer is the competent authority to decide such correction applications

Subjects

birth date correction
school records
education officer jurisdiction
writ petition
high court

Judgment

2026:BHC-AUG:37392-DB


                                                 1                     95-WP-10063-26.odt


                        IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                   BENCH AT AURANGABAD

                             WRIT PETITION NO. 10063 OF 2026

                                SUJATA PRAKASHRAO ACHMARE
                                            VERSUS
                  THE DIVISIONAL SECRETARY MAHARASHTRA STATE BOARD OF
                SECONDARY AND HIGHER SECONDARY EDUCATION, LATUR AND
                                            OTHERS
                                              ...
              Mr. Ashish P. Deshmukh, Advocate for the Petitioner
              Mr. S. K. Tambe, AGP for Respondents/State
                                              ...

                                       CORAM : NITIN B. SURYAWANSHI AND
                                               ABASAHEB D. SHINDE, JJ.
                                        DATE : 17th AUGUST, 2026

              PER COURT :

              1.           Request of the petitioner for correction in the birth date

              is turned down by respondent No.4 Headmaster. It is well settled

              that the Headmaster has to forward such proposal to the Education

              Officer and the Education Officer is competent to decide the same.

              2.           In the light of the above, the impugned order dated

              04/07/2025 is quashed and set aside. Respondent No.4 is directed

              to forward the application of petitioner to respondent No.5 within a

              period of two weeks from the date of receipt of copy of this order.

              On receipt of such application, respondent No.5 shall decide the

              same within a period of six weeks thereafter.

              3.           Writ petition is accordingly disposed of.



              (ABASAHEB D. SHINDE, J.)               (NITIN B. SURYAWANSHI, J.)



              SVH

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