Caste Certificate — SC, ST and OBC

These are two different documents and confusing them causes a large number of rejected applications, particularly for OBC candidates in central recruitment.

A caste certificate records that you belong to a notified Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Class. Once issued, it generally does not expire, because your community does not change.

A non-creamy-layer certificate additionally states that your family income and status fall below the creamy-layer threshold prescribed for OBC reservation. Because income changes, this certificate is time-limited and normally has to be obtained afresh — commonly each year, and usually within a specified period before the application closing date.

A community may appear in a State’s OBC list but not in the central list, or the other way round. Reservation in central government jobs and central educational institutions follows the central list; State reservation follows the State list.

Before applying for a central post on the strength of an OBC certificate, check that the community is in the central list for your State. This is published by the National Commission for Backward Classes.

1. Go to your State’s e-district or revenue services portal, reachable from services.india.gov.in.
2. Start an application for the relevant certificate and select the correct category.
3. Enter your details and, where the State requires it, the details of a relative who already holds a certificate for the same community.
4. Upload identity proof, address proof, and any existing caste certificate of a father, grandfather or other blood relative — this is the strongest supporting evidence in most States.
5. For a non-creamy-layer certificate, also provide income documents for the family.
6. Pay the notified fee and submit. Verification is normally carried out by the local revenue official.
7. Download the digitally signed certificate from the portal once issued.