Boon for SC/ST candidates? Birth, caste certificates likely to be merged

New Delhi: The Central government is mulling to merge the birth certificate – issued when registration is being down after a child is born – and caste certificate, which indicates the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe status of an individual.

"The possibility may also be explored to indicate the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe status in the Birth certificate," reads the draft advisory or guidelines to be issued to states and union territories.

However, before implementing the above advisory, public comments have been sought by the Establishment (Reservation) Section of the Department of Personnel and Training.

Adding to the same, the Modi government has also reportedly proposed draft guidelines to all states suggesting that the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe status of a person be indicated in his birth certificate, which should be issued to persons from the reserved categories as early as when they are in school in Class VIII.

"The School Principal will get the documents collected from all the SC and ST students and arrange to submit them to the relevant state government authority/revenue authorities for making the requisite certificates. The concerned revenue/state government authorities would scrutinise those documents and within a period of 30-60 days, would issue the certificates," the guidelines say.

Notably, a domicile certificate, which certifies residence of any person in a particular state, will be issued similarly so that the individual can apply for jobs where preference to local residents is available.