Glossary · Land records
What is Mutation?
Also called: Intkal, Dakhil-kharij, Ferfar, Namantaran, Pokkuvaravu, Patta transfer
Mutation is the process of updating the government land revenue record after land changes hands by sale, gift or inheritance. It records the change but is not proof of title.
When land is sold, gifted or inherited, the revenue record still shows the old holder until a mutation is sanctioned. The process has many local names: intkal in Punjab and Haryana, dakhil-kharij in UP and Bihar, ferfar in Maharashtra, pokkuvaravu in Kerala and patta transfer in Tamil Nadu.
Mutation matters for paying land revenue, getting government benefits and showing who is recorded as holder. But it does not by itself create or prove ownership — title comes from a registered deed, a will, or succession law.
Fraud often shows up as a mutation entry the owner never asked for, sometimes based on a forged document or a misused power of attorney.
Why it matters if you live abroad
An unfamiliar mutation entry is often the first sign of a forged sale — and satellites can’t see it. Check your record at least once or twice a year, or have it watched weekly (PlotPehra does this in 19 states).
Read the full guide
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Mutation (Intkal, Dakhil-Kharij) Explained for NRI Landowners
What land mutation (intkal, dakhil-kharij) is, its name in each state, why delaying inheritance mutation is risky for NRIs, and how to check its status online.