A caste certificate holds great significance for individuals who belong to the reserved categories including Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC). It acts as an evidence for proving their candidature as and when required, especially when it comes to the privileges and schemes offered by the Government of India. Having a caste certificate allows you to avail benefits in school/college admissions, competitive examinations, employment, government subsidies and scholarships.
How to get a caste certificate prepared? Who issues the caste certificate? Where can an individual apply for it? What are the essential documents required for a caste certificate? The answers to all these questions are covered in this article.
How to get a Caste Certificate – Providing Authorities
The caste certificate is issued by the designated authorities of the state governments i.e. SDO (Sub-Divisional Officer) or Tehsildar. The providing authorities may vary from state to state. For individuals who wish to apply for the caste certificate, they need to contact the designated authorities of their respective areas of permanent residence. Given below is the state-wise list of providing authorities whom applicant can contact.
| State | Providing Authority | Processing Time* |
| Andhra Pradesh | Revenue Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh | 15 days (30 days for ST category) |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Deputy Commissioner’s Office of each district | 14 days |
| Assam | Office of Deputy Commissioner or SDO of each district | 30 days |
| Bihar | Circle office/SDO office/District Magistrate office | 10 working days |
| Chhattisgarh | SDM/Tehsildar/Revenue Department Offices | Not specified |
| Goa | Revenue Department, Government of Goa | 10 days |
| Gujarat | Tehsil/Revenue Office | Not specified |
| Haryana | SDM of the concerned Subdivision or District Commissioner of the concerned district | 7 working days |
| Himachal Pradesh | Tehsildar/Naib Tehsildar of the concerned district | Not specified |
| Jharkhand | Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Rajbhasha | Not specified |
| Karnataka | Taluk level functionary | 21 days |
| Kerala | Revenue Inspector or Village Administrative Officer | 5 days |
| Madhya Pradesh | Tehsil/Revenue/Circle Office | 30 days |
| Maharashtra | Sub-Divisional Officer/ Deputy Collector | 45 days |
| Manipur | Office of Deputy Commissioner | Not specified |
| Meghalaya | Sub-Divisional Officer/ Deputy Collector | Not specified |
| Mizoram | Tehsil/Revenue/Circle Office | 2 to 3 days |
| Nagaland | Office of the Commissioner Nagaland / District Administration / District Magistrate | Not specified |
| Odisha | District Magistrate/ADM/SDO/Tahsildar | Not specified |
| Punjab | Concerned Sub-Divisional Office | Up to 6 days |
| Rajasthan | Respective Tehsil/Block/Revenue Office | Not specified |
| Sikkim | District Administrative Centre | Not specified |
| Tamil Nadu | Taluk/Panchayat Union Office | Not specified |
| Telangana | Tehsil/Revenue Office | 15 days (30 days for ST category) |
| Tripura | Office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate | 15 to 40 days |
| Uttar Pradesh | District Magistrate Office of concerned district | 15 to 25 days |
| Uttarakhand | Respective Tehsil /Revenue/Circle Office | Not specified |
| West Bengal | District Welfare Office/SDO/BDO | Not specified |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Concerned Tehsildar Officer | Nearly 14 days |
| Chandigarh | SDM Office | 9 to 30 working days |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Mamlatdar office/Collector office | 7 to 10 days |
| Daman and Diu | Mamlatdar office/Collector office | 7 to 10 days |
| Delhi | SDM/Tehsildar/CSC (Citizen Service Centre) | 14 days |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Concerned Tehsildar Offices | Not specified |
| Ladakh | Concerned Tehsildar Offices | Not specified |
| Lakshadweep | Tehsil /Revenue/Circle Office | Not specified |
| Puducherry | Tehsil /Revenue/Circle Office | Not specified |
*The processing time mentioned above is tentative. It may change depending on providing authority.
How to get a Caste Certificate – Documents Required
The application for a caste certificate requires you to attach certain supporting documents without which your application may get rejected. The list of documents to be attached vary from state to state. Given below is a common list of mandatory documents that you must attach with your caste certificate application.
1. Identity proof
- PAN card
- Aadhaar card
- Passport
- MGNREGA card
- RSBY card
- Driving license
- Identity card issued by government or semi-government organizations
2. Address proof
- PAN card
- Aadhaar card
- Voter ID card
- Ration card
- Driving license
- Electricity bill
- Water bill
- Property tax receipt
- Telephone bill
- Rent receipt
- Passport
3. Affidavit for Caste certificate
4. Proof of Caste
- Extract of applicant’s/applicant’s Father/Grandfather Primary School Register
- Primary school leaving certificate of the applicant or his/her father
- Extract of Birth Register of the applicant/father/relative
- Extracts from Government Service Record (book) that mentions caste/community/ category of the applicant’s father or relative
- Caste certificate issued by the Department of Social Justice
- Validity certificate of any of father or relative (issued by the scrutiny committee)
- Revenue records/Village panchayat record
- Other relevant documents
5. Income proof
6. Land related proof
How to get a Caste Certificate Online and Offline?
Since the certificate is issued by the Government of respective states and union territories, the application process varies from state to state. While some states have both online and offline provisions of application, some prefer only online mode of application.
Online Application
While most of the states adopt online mode of application, the table given below highlights the respective state portals where applicants can apply for a caste certificate.
| S.No. | State | Where to apply? |
| Andhra Pradesh | Apply through the MEESEVA app of the Government of Andhra Pradesh. | |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Apply through Arunachal eServices portal of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. | |
| Assam | Apply through e-District services of Assam state portal. | |
| Bihar | Apply through RTPS portal of Bihar Government. | |
| Chhattisgarh | Apply through the Chhattisgarh state portal. | |
| Goa | Apply through Goa Online portal. | |
| Gujarat | Apply through the Digital Gujarat portal. | |
| Haryana | Download the form from e-Disha portal and submit the completed form to the concerned authority. | |
| Himachal Pradesh | Apply online through Himachal Online Seva (e-District) portal. | |
| Jharkhand | Apply online through Jharkhand e-District (JharSewa) portal. | |
| Karnataka | Apply online through the official website of Nadakacheri AJSK. | |
| Kerala | Apply online through Akshaya portal of the Government of Kerala. | |
| Madhya Pradesh | Apply online through the Samagra portal of the Government of Madhya Pradesh. | |
| Maharashtra | Apply online through Aaple Sarkar portal of the Government of Maharashtra. | |
| Manipur | Apply through the e-District portal of Manipur. | |
| Meghalaya | Apply through the e-District portal of Meghalaya. | |
| Mizoram | Apply through the e-District portal of Mizoram. | |
| Nagaland | Apply through the e-District portal of Nagaland. | |
| Odisha | Apply through the e-District portal of Odisha. | |
| Punjab | Apply through the state portal of Punjab. | |
| Rajasthan | Apply through e-Mitra portal of the Government of Rajasthan. | |
| Sikkim | Apply through the e-Services portal of Sikkim. | |
| Tamil Nadu | Apply through the Tamil Nadu e-Sevai center. | |
| Telangana | Apply through the MeeSeva portal of the Government of Telangana. | |
| Tripura | Apply through e-District portal of Tripura. | |
| Uttar Pradesh | Apply through e-Saathi web portal or mobile app. | |
| Uttarakhand | Apply through the e-District portal of Uttarakhand. | |
| West Bengal | Apply through West Bengal e-District portal. | |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Apply through official portal of Andaman & Nicobar Administration. | |
| Chandigarh | Apply through Sampark portal of Chandigarh. | |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Apply through the official portal of Dadra and Nagar Haveli Administration. | |
| Daman and Diu | Apply through the official portal of Daman and Diu Administration. | |
| Delhi | Apply through e-District portal of Delhi. | |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Apply through Jammu & Kashmir State e-Services. | |
| Ladakh | Apply through the official portal of Union Territory of Ladakh. | |
| Lakshadweep | Not applicable | |
| Puducherry | Apply through e-District portal of Puducherry. |
Offline Application
Since the online application is available handy with the applicants, very few people prefer the offline mode of application. However, there are some states that require applicant to fill both online and offline applications. In that case, the applicants can apply for the caste certificate through one of the following offices nearby like
-
- Tehsildar Office
- SDM Office
- Revenue Office
- CSC (Citizen Service Centers)/SETU centers
- Collector Office
Validity of A Caste Certificate
The validity of a caste certificate varies from state to state. Usually, a caste certificate remains valid for the entire life of the individual. However, in some states, the validity is restricted to certain time duration, i.e. 3 years. The individuals who receive the caste certificate can see its validity mentioned on the certificate itself. Also, the individuals are required to get their caste certificate verified from the concerned Tehsil or SDM office to ensure its validity.
To read this article in Hindi, please click here
FAQs
Q. Where can an individual use the caste certificate?
Ans. A caste certificate can turn out to be useful in following ways like School/College admission, scholarships, competitive examinations, employment opportunities in reserved category, election, government subsidies, self-employment and housing schemes.
Q. Is there any application fee to be paid for a caste certificate?
Ans. The conditions for fees vary from state to state. While some states levy an application fee or processing fee, some state governments do not charge even a penny.
Q. How much is the application fee to get a Caste Certificate?
Ans. The application fee to get a caste certificate may vary from state to state. This amount may range from INR 10 to INR 500.
Q. If an individual applies for the Caste Certificate online, how will he/she get the document?
Ans. Once the application is submitted online, the applicants can check the status of their application via the same portal. Furthermore, if the certificate gets approved, it can be downloaded from the website itself.
Q. Who can issue a caste certificate?
Ans. The following are the competent authorities to issue the Caste certificate –
- District Magistrate/ Additional Magistrate/ Collector/ Deputy Collector/ Deputy Commissioner/ Additional Deputy Commissioner/ Sub-Divisional Magistrate/ 1st Class Stipendiary Magistrate/ Taluka Magistrate/ Executive Magistrate/ Extra Assistant Commissioner.
- Chief Presidency Magistrate/ Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate/ Presidency Magistrate.
- Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tehsildar.
- Sub-Divisional Officer of the area where the applicant resides.