VERIFICATION
OF CAST CERTIFICATE
No.
41034/4/2020-Estt (Res-I)
Government of India
Ministry of
Personnel, Public Grievance & Pensions
Department
of Personnel and Training
North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 19th March, 2021
To
The Chief Secretaries of all
States & Union Territories
Subject : Timely verification of
Caste/Community Certificates – regarding.
Sir,
I am
directed to say that instances have come to the notice where the pensionary benefits
of employees belonging to ST category, who were working in various offices and
organizations under Central Government in the State of Tamil Nadu, have been
withheld on the ground that their caste verification is pending from the State
Government. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Welfare of the
Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (SC&ST) have taken a serious view
of this, and has directed this Department to issue necessary guidelines to all
the concerned for ensuring timely verification of the Caste Certificate of the
employees belonging to the reserved category.
2. It is
stated that the responsibility for the issue and verification of Caste
Certificate lies with the concerned State/UT Government. The Hon’ble Supreme
Court, vide its Order dated 2.9.1994 in the matter of in the matter of Kumari
Madhuri Patil vs Addl. Commissioner, has laid down the detailed guidelines for
effective verification of the Caste Certificates of the employees, so that no
person, on the basis of fake caste certificate, may secure employment
wrongfully in the Government.
3.
DoP&T has issued various guidelines from time to time for streamlining the
process of verification of Caste Certificate of the employees, and has
requested the State/UT Governments for timely verification of the same.
However, as mentioned above, instances have come to notice that the appointing
authority has taken an unduly long time in getting the caste status of an
employee verified through the concerned State authorities which is totally in
contravention of the existing instructions. In this regard, attention is
invited towards the following instructions of DoPT in the matter:
(i) DoPT OM No. 36019/7/1975-Estt (SCT) dated 31.10.1975 (copy at Annexure-I)
provides that the candidates belonging to the SC/ST category have to produce a
Certificate in the prescribed form issued by one of the prescribed authorities
in support of their claim of belonging to a SC/ST. Where such a candidate is
unable to produce a Certificate from any of the prescribed authorities, he may
he appointed provisionally on the basis of whatever prima facie proof he is
able to produce in support of his claim subject to his furnishing the
prescribed Certificate within a reasonable time, and if there 1s genuine
difficulty in his obtaining a Certificate, the appointing authority should
itself verify his claims through the District Magistrate concerned.
(ii) DoPT
OM No. 36011/16/80-Estt (SCT) dated 27.2.1981 (copy at Annexure-II) provides
that the verification of caste status at every important upturn of employee’s
career is necessary, as an SC candidate may lose his status of SC if he
embraces a religion other than Hinduism and Sikhism (DoPT OM No.
36011/3/2005-Estt (Res) dated 9.9.2005 provides that an SC candidate loses his
SC status if he embraces a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism).
(iii)
DoPT, vide letter No. 36022/1/2007-Estt (Res) dated 20.3.2007 (copy at
Annexure-III), have requested the State/UT Governments to issue instructions to
the District Magistrates/ District Collectors/Deputy Commissioners of the
districts to the effect that they should ensure at their own level that
veracity of the Caste/Community certificate referred to the district
authorities is verified and reported to the appointing authority within one
month of receipt of request from such authority. The State/UT Governments were
also requested to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the officers who
default in timely verification of Caste Status.
(iv) DoPT,
vide letter No. 41034/3/2012 – Estt (Res) dated 11.4.2012 (copy at
Annexure-IV), have reiterated the above instructions dated 20.3.2007 requesting
the State/UT Governments to issue instructions to the concerned district
authorities to ensure veracity of the Caste/Community Certificate referred to
them and report the same to the appointing authority within one month of
receipt of request from such authority. This letter also conveys the directions
of the Parliamentary Committee at that time on the Welfare of SCs and STs that
the State/UT Governments may constitute a District-Level Committee in each
District which may hold regular meetings to ensure timely verification of Caste
Certificates.
Also Read : Streamlining the procedure for verification of claims of candidates
belonging to SC, ST and OBC
(v) DoPT OM No. 36011/1/2012-Estt (SCT) dated 8.10.2015 (copy at Annexure-V)
reiterates the earlier instructions on timely and effective verification of the
Caste Certificate so that the benefit of reservation and other scheme of
concessions etc. go only to the rightful claimants.
(vi) DoPT
letter No. 36011/1/2012-Estt (SCT) dated 14.3.2016 (copy at Annexure-VI)
addressed to all State/UT Government again reiterates the earlier instructions
on verification of Caste Certificate within a reasonable time.
4. In view
of the above, all State/UT Governments are again requested that the
above-mentioned instructions may be brought to the notice of all the concerned
officers, and it may be ensured that the process of caste verification is
completed within a reasonable time, and the concerned appointing authorities
are informed about the veracity of the Caste Certificate of the
candidates/employees within one month of the receipt of such request from the
concerned appointing authority.
5. This issues with the approval of Secretary (P)
.
Yours faithfully,
( Sandeep Saxena)
Deputy Secretary
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