Now, a child may get 'Dalit' stamp on birth

New Delhi: A child's birth certificate may bear the stamp of his or her being a Dalit as per the draft guidelines framed by the government.

Besides, schools in all states and union territories will be responsible for issuing caste and domicile certificates to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, when they are studying in Class VIII.

The Centre has been receiving representations, from time to time, regarding difficulties faced by SC and ST candidates in obtaining caste or domicile certificates while applying for admission, and services under the central government.

The domicile certificate is issued by the authority concerned of the state government or union territory to prove that the person bearing the certificate is a resident of the particular state or union territory which is issuing it.

Such certificate is issued as proof of residence to avail domicile or resident quotas in educational institutions and in the state or central government services, as also in the case of jobs where preference to local residents is available.

"The possibility may also be explored to indicate the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe status in the birth certificate," reads the draft guidelines for states and UTs, formed by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

With a view to ease the difficulties faced by SC or ST students in obtaining certificates, it is proposed that caste certificate and the residency certificate may be issued to SC and ST students, all over the country, when they are studying in Class VIII, it said.

The school head or headmaster of the school, in which the student is studying, would get the necessary documents filled up from the students studying in Class VIII.

A window of two months in September-October or any other time frame decided by the state government or UT concerned may be allocated for completing this exercise. The school will get the documents collected from all the SC and ST students and arrange to submit them to the relevant state government authority or revenue authorities for making the requisite certificates, as per the draft guidelines.

The authorities would scrutinise those documents and within a period of 30-60 days, would issue the certificates.

If the certificate of any student is rejected, reasons will be provided and provision for one time appeal may be allowed by the state authorities, it said.

Once the certificate is made, it would be given to the students through the school authorities and would be kept with them for safe custody for availing the benefits, concessions and facilities available to the concerned category of students, the guidelines said.

The DoPT has sought comments from all stakeholders on these draft guidelines by December 21.