Pune: More than 14,000 lawyers across Maharashtra, who have been found eligible for notary certification, continue to await their licenses despite six months passing since the document verification process was completed.

The substantial delay is reportedly due to an increase in the number of applicants compared to 2019 and certain technical issues within the documentation process.

The Notaries Act of 1952 provides for the appointment of lawyers as notaries by either the central or state government.

Notaries serve as legally authorized professionals who assist in a range of official tasks, including correcting name discrepancies, issuing educational gap certificates, and validating documents.

The application process began with online interviews conducted by the Ministry of Law and Justice on March 31, 2023. The ministry announced the final list of eligible notaries on March 14, 2024, requiring candidates to complete document submission by April 15.

After verifying these documents, the ministry forwarded them to the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa for NOCs.

The Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, in turn, issued the NOCs and sent them back promptly, yet some technical issues related to out-of-state applicants added complications to the process, as highlighted by Advocate Rajendra Umap, former President of Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa.

This year, instead of the traditional offline certificates, eligible notaries are expected to receive digital certificates due to the record-breaking number of applicants.

Concerned about the delay, the Pune Bar Association has submitted a formal appeal to Union Civil Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol and sent a letter to Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Meghwal.

“The large number of applicants may have contributed to the lengthy processing time,” stated Santosh Khamkar, President of the Pune Bar Association.