| Relationship to Applicant | Can a Gazetted Officer attest? | Reason | | --- | --- | --- | | | NO | Direct financial and legal interest. Clear conflict. | | Son or Daughter | NO | Parental bias. Many circulars specify “children.” | | Mother or Father | NO | Reciprocal bias. Officer benefits indirectly. | | Brother or Sister | NO | Sibling relationship is within “close relative.” | | Mother-in-law / Father-in-law | NO | Relation by marriage. | | Cousin | Typically NO | Some manuals allow if not living in same household, but most receiving agencies reject. Better to avoid. | | Uncle / Aunt | Grey area | Not always defined as “close relative.” Safer to avoid. | | Nephew / Niece | Grey area | Best to avoid unless circular explicitly allows distant relative. |
The rationale behind these rules is to prevent conflict of interest and ensure impartiality. A gazetted officer, being a family member, may have a personal interest in the document, which could compromise their impartiality. Therefore, the rules aim to prevent any potential bias or prejudice. | Relationship to Applicant | Can a Gazetted Officer attest
Originals are only required for final verification once selected. Official Website of Government of Puducherry Recommendation: | | Son or Daughter | NO | Parental bias
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. | | Brother or Sister | NO |
: The officer remains legally responsible for the authenticity of the documents. Any discrepancies found later could lead to disciplinary action or prosecution.