On January 4, 2022, deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia handed over the first caste certificate based on Single mother.

Highlights

• The certificate was issued to a child of a single mother, on the mother’s credentials. The mother was struggling to get an SC caste certificate for her child for last eight years.
• This is for the first time, a child of a single mother belonging to the scheduled caste community received a caste certificate in Delhi.

How caste certificates were issued earlier?

Earlier, SC/ST caste certificates were issued only on the basis of fathers’ caste certificate or paternal side certificates. because of this procedure, many single mothers were unable to get SC/ST caste certificates for their children.

Background

Circular to amend the procedure for issuance of ‘SC/ST caste certificate’ based on the caste certificate of single mother was issued on July 20, 2020, after getting approval from the Revenue Minister of GNCT Delhi.

Struggle of Geeta Devi

Geeta Devi, aged 30, was struggling to get the Scheduled Caste scholarship for her son in 2020. She was informed by his son’s school that she requires to submit caste certificate of her son in order to get scholarship. After visiting the sub-district magistrate (SDM) office, she was asked to bring husband’s cate certificate as proof to get one for her son. Her struggle ended and her case became the first in city where a child received caste certificate on the basis of his single mother’s documents.