Can A Gazetted Officer Attest Documents Of His Family Members Official

: Many receiving authorities (like passport offices or universities) will reject documents if the surnames match or if a relationship is suspected. Professional Ethics

A senior engineer in a state electricity board attested his son’s passport photograph. The passport office flagged the common surname and address. Upon inquiry, the son admitted the officer was his father. The passport application was rejected, and a negative remark was placed in the officer’s service record. The son had to reapply with attestation from a different officer, losing 2 months. : Many receiving authorities (like passport offices or

In remote areas with no other gazetted officer, some departments may accept it with a self-declaration of relationship. However, this is not standard practice and should be avoided. Upon inquiry, the son admitted the officer was his father

due to potential conflicts of interest and the appearance of bias. The Legal Standpoint In remote areas with no other gazetted officer,

The officer is exercising powers granted by the law in their official capacity, which is technically separate from their status as a relative.

A key requirement of attestation is that the officer should know the applicant personally for a certain period (often 1-2 years) and in an official or professional capacity . While they know their family intimately, that relationship is private , not professional. The attestation process is meant to be an arms-length verification, not a family favor.

For most government job applications and educational forms, the Government of India now accepts self-attestation (you sign the copies yourself), making Gazetted attestation unnecessary in many cases. Standard Attestation Requirements