SC/ST Caste Certificate — Application, Validity & Uses

Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates are issued to candidates belonging to communities notified in the central or state SC/ST lists. The certificates entitle holders to reservation in education, government jobs, scholarships and welfare schemes.

Eligibility

A person is eligible for an SC/ST certificate if they belong to a community listed in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 or the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, as amended. Each state has its own SC/ST list; community status is generally inherited through paternal lineage.

Documents required

• Aadhaar card of applicant
• Father's caste certificate (most important evidence)
• School transfer certificate showing caste entry
• Ration card mentioning caste
• Affidavit by parents declaring caste
• Two passport size photographs
• Self-declaration form

Issuing authority

Tehsildar, SDM, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) or Mamlatdar depending on the state. The application can also be filed at Common Service Centres (CSCs) which forward it to the issuing authority.

Step-by-step process

Visit the relevant state e-district portal, fill the prescribed application form, upload all documents, pay the fee (typically ₹20–₹100), and submit. The Revenue Officer conducts a local verification (sometimes a village-level enquiry), and issues the certificate within 30 days.

Validity and reuse

An SC/ST certificate, once issued, is valid for a lifetime. Most institutions accept the original certificate or a self-attested copy. Renewal is generally not required, though some recruitment exams ask for a re-verification certificate dated within a specified window.

Inter-state migration

A person migrating to a different state may continue to claim SC/ST status only if the same community is listed in the new state. If the community is listed only in the original state, the migrant is treated as general category in the new state for reservation purposes.

Forgery and penalties

Submitting a forged SC/ST certificate or claiming reservation while not belonging to the listed community is a serious offence under the BNS 2023 and the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Penalties include imprisonment, fines, cancellation of admission or employment.