What is Community Certificate for Students?

A community certificate is an important document, mostly required by students in India. It is proof of community for any student. The major reserved categories in India, such as Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and OBC, need to prove their community. They are essential for the documentation of all those individuals who do not fall within the General category. It is just as important as a bonafide certificate. The state government is responsible for providing these certificates. Here in this blog, we will look at what is community certificate is and know everything related to this certificate. 

What is a Community Certificate?

A community certificate is proof that they belong to a specific community. As per the reservation law, people from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backwards Castes (OBC) hold special privileges including a reservation of seats in major government jobs like RBI, railway exams, bank exams, and jobs etc. They also have a lower cut-off for college applications in universities like Delhi University, IIT, IIMs, and competitive exams like JEE Mains, NEET, etc.

These opportunities are provided to specific communities to uplift them from their financial and social conditions. Every year, the government of India releases a list of castes and communities that come under this list. However, different castes and communities hold different quotas and relaxation in marks.

Community Certificate for OBC

OBC is a section of castes that are considered backwards in financial and social strata. However, they do not enjoy the same exemptions as SC and ST castes. OBC caste has a 27% reservation in every government job and university. Their cut-off is also lower than the general class but more than SC and ST. There are two types of Community Certificates for OBC:

• Creamy Layer OBC– This is the section of OBC class that does not require backing from the government and hence is not eligible for any government-sponsored education or employment. Those who have a family income of more than INR 8 Lakh (as per 2017 law) belong to this category. A creamy layer OBC certificate is as good as a general certificate.
• Non-Creamy Layer OBC- This is the section of OBC class that requires backing from the government and hence is eligible for all government-sponsored education or employment. Those who have a family income of less than INR 8 Lakh (as per 2017 law) belong to this category. Non-creamy Layer OBC can utilise all the reservations that are allowed to their community in India.

Community Certificate for SC & ST

The Scheduled Castes are the communities that are at the lowest strata of society. Usually from hereditary professions like scavenging, labourers, etc. However, even though the current generations do not do the same jobs, they are still eligible for the reservations provided to SC.  

The Scheduled Tribes are the communities that are usually called ‘Adivasis’ in India. They include agriculturists who have minimal interaction with the world outside their community. They have suffered immensely under British rule, cast as ‘criminals’, or had their lands taken away. The government offers these reservations to them so they can prosper. A community certificate for Schedule Caste and Scheduled Castes has no criteria like an OBC certificate. 

Purpose of a Community Certificate

Caste certificates primarily help those who fall into reserved groups, such as scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, in obtaining the following benefits:

• To get the reservation of seats in the Legislature.
• To get the reservation in Government Service.
• For waiving off the fees for admission to schools or colleges.
• To get quotas in educational institutions.
• Several bank and government jobs reserve seats for reserved category students.
• To get particular scholarships sponsored by the Government.
• For receiving Government subsidies.
• For applying certain schemes provided by the Government.

Also Read: Medium of Instruction Certificate

Eligibility Criteria

You need to qualify for the following in order to receive the community certificate. The criteria for the same are mentioned below. 

• An SC/ ST/ OBC lineage.
• Indian Citizenship.
• Age should be above 3 years for a temporary Certificate.
• Qualification of intermediate for a permanent Certificate.

Documents Required for Community Certificate 

Certain documents are compulsory when applying for a community certificate. These usually clarify your citizenship in India, proof of community through your family, and proof of completing school.

Documents Required for SC/ST Certificate

If you want to apply for the community certificate for SC/ST, then here are some of the documents required to submit for this certificate.

• Application Form
• Aadhaar Number, if it is not available, provides anyone with identity proof such as PAN or Passport or Driving Licence or Voter’s Card
• Copy of SC/ST certificate of father, sister, brother, or of his/her blood relative from the paternal side
• Self-declaration in case of SC/ST certificate issued from outside Delhi in prescribed Performa rate (If the children are below 18 years, a self-declaration from the major has to be produced)
• Marriage Certificate for married women
• Present residential proof like Voter’s Card, Water Bill, Electricity Bill, Telephone Bill, etc
• Proof of Date of Birth (Bonafide certificate or Birth certificate or passport)

Note: If a family member’s SC/ST certificate is not available, two government officials must declare that the applicant is a permanent resident of Delhi and is known to them, as well as attested copies of their identity cards and that he or she belongs to the caste SC/ST.

Documents Required for OBC Certificate

To obtain a community certificate for OBC, here are some of the documents that you need to submit to officials.

• A copy of the OBC certificate of the father, brother, sister, or of his/her blood relative from the paternal side, if available
• 2 attestations by MP/MLA/Councillor/Gazetted Officers, declaring the caste of the applicant and continuous stay in Delhi since 1993
• Residence Certificate
• Family income proof (Salary Slip/Form-16/ITR, etc.)
• Applicable fee
• This service does not require any payment for processing the certificate

Note: All documents have to be attested by MP/MLA/Gazetted Officer.

Processing Time 

After you have applied for a community certificate, it takes up to 15 days to get ready. Your certificate will be posted to you at your permanent address. Even if you have applied online, not every state provides you with an online Community Certificate.

Applying for Community Certificate Offline 

If you are planning to apply for the community certificate by going directly to the office, then you should follow the below mentioned steps.

• Step 1: Applicant needs to approach the centre SDM/DC Office to apply for a community certificate through offline mode.
• Step 2:  Submit an application in the prescribed format for the community certificate. Fill out the caste application form duly according to the caste category. Separate application forms are available for SC/ST OBC category. Provide the following details in the application form.
  • Personal information such as name, gender, DOB, marital status, and religion
  • Purpose of obtaining caste certificate
  • Caste details – Caste /Tribe details
  • Parents’ and Spouse details
  • Contact details
• Step 3: Submit all other supporting documents to the officer.
• Step 4: Obtain an acknowledgement receipt with the unique application number. Keep it safe for future reference.
• Step 5: Once the application for a community certificate has been submitted, you can also check the status of the application.
• Step 6: A local inquiry would be conducted to verify the applicant’s residence or caste. In the case of married women, a local inquiry would be conducted at both their pre-marital residence and their post-marital residence.
• Step 7: The SDM/DC shall issue a caste certificate after a local inquiry has been completed and the request for a caste certificate has been authorised. Return to the office with your application number. Collect the caste certificate and use it for the above-mentioned purposes.

Also Read: Internship Certificates: Use, Format and Samples

Community Certificate Online

Now that everything is available online, so are community certificates. It is highly crucial for every student coming from a backwards caste to have this certificate. You can apply for a certificate, both online and offline. You can apply for a certificate online on the National Portal of India. Here, you will find a community certificate application that you need to fill in your details and submit to your nearest Seva Kendra.

Applying for Community Certificate Online

Every state has a different form for its community certificate. Your certificate is once issued during your school years, and then after the completion of intermediate. However, if your caste has been moved from its designated reserved class in these years, you will no longer have the privilege. However, this is an extremely rare case. 

The state of Gujarat has its own ‘Digital Gujarat Portal’ while Tamil Nadu has an online form to download. However, most of the state governments ask for the same details like:

• Name of the Applicant
• Father/ Husband’s Name
• Sex (M/F)
• Residential Address 
• Ration Card No. (Copy to be enclosed) 
• School Leaving Certificate (Copy to be enclosed) 
• Transfer Certificate (Copy to be enclosed) 
• Details of Community Certificate of Parents (Copy to be enclosed) 
• Details of School Certificates of Parents (Copy to be enclosed) 
• Date of application
• Signature of the Applicant 

Also Read: What is Gap Certificate: Format, Sample for Neet, Application

FAQs

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This was all about the community certificate and its importance. We hope it helped in clearing any doubts you had regarding the same. You can always consult our experts at Leverage Edu and get your free 30-minute session, who will tell you all the important documents required for further studies abroad.