THE HON’BLE Ms. JUSTICE G. ROHINI WRIT PETITION No.6490 OF 2006 ORAL ORDER: Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner. Despite service, respondent did not choose to appear. The petitioner was issued a passport bearing No.A-7176603 dated 9.2.1999. It is stated that his date of birth in the said passport was recorded as 19.9.1985 basing on a mistake crept in the application form. It is claimed that as a matter of fact, his correct date of birth is 1.6.1985 as per his SSC record. Having noted the mistake in the passport, he made an application to the respondent on 17.1.2006 for correction of date of birth in the passport. In response to the same, the respondent by letter dated 24.1.2006 directed the petitioner to obtain a declaratory order from the competent civil Court. It is to be noted that the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs, issued circular dated 18.04.2001, which reads as under: a. Where an applicant is seeking rectification/Correction of a mistake in the entry of date of birth/place of birth in the passport, PIA (Passport Issuing Authority) may after verifying/satisfying himself, after the correction treating the same as a technical correction. There is no need for a declaratory order in such cases. b. Where a competent authority issuing a birth certificate or an educational board registering a date of birth along with place of birth as valid were to issue any correction or amendment, PIA may effect the necessary amendment in the passport without insisting on a Court Order. As per the provisions of Section 21 of the General clauses Act, 1997, a competent authority issuing a certificate could also make necessary amendments to the same. c. Where the initial entry has been made on the basis of a supportive document issued by one competent authority and the applicant subsequently requests for a change on the basis of a certificate issued by another competent authority i.e., municipal authorities resulting in conflicting sources of valid proof, the PIA should direct the applicant to obtain a civil order from a competent Court of jurisdiction, certifying the valid date of birth/place of birth.” Having considered the above circular, this Court in Ali Imran v. Regional Passport Officer, Secunderabad held that as per the circular dated 18.04.2001, it is permissible to accept the applications for rectification/correction of the entries in the passport. The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the correction of date of birth of the petitioner and his father’s name in the passport was only a technical correction, and therefore, it falls under clause (a) of the circular. In support of his submission the learned counsel relied upon the decision in Asra Begum v. Regional Passport Officer, Secunderabad . Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case and following the decision of this Court in Ali Imran’s case (1 supra), the writ petition is disposed of granting liberty to the petitioner to make a fresh application with relevant material to substantiate his plea, within a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order, and if any such application is made, the respondents are directed to receive and consider the same in accordance with the circular dated 18.04.2001 and pass appropriate orders in accordance with law and communicate the same to the petitioner within a period of four weeks thereafter. The writ petition is accordingly, disposed of. No costs. ______________ (G. ROHINI, J.) 13th June, 2006. Kgr THE HON’BLE Ms. JUSTICE G. ROHINI WRIT PETITION No.6490 OF 2006 13th June, 2006 Between: Pola Sreenivas. .. Petitioner. And The Regional Passport Officer, Passport Office, Hyderabad, having Office at Secunderabad. .. Respondent. I have heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and perused the material on record.