In the first case of its kind, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia gave a caste certificate to a boy on the basis of his single mother’s documents on Tuesday, 4 January.
Geeta Devi, 30, was informed by her son’s school last year that his caste certificate had to be submitted for him to be eligible for SC/ST scholarships available.
Devi visited the sub-district magistrate (SDM) office, where caste certificates are issued. However, her husband’s caste certificate was asked for as proof.
Devi said, “I am married, but my husband does not figure anywhere in my life. He left me years ago and is not bothered about us. How could I get his caste certificate as proof?” Indian Express reported.
Devi, who used to work for a thread picking unit before losing the job due to the pandemic in 2020, was further quoted as saying, “I had an SC certificate in my name. My son is 13 years old and his teachers said I needed to submit his caste certificate for him to be eligible for scholarships. I realised the certificate would also help him later in life and wanted to get it made immediately. When I went to the SDM office, I was told, ‘ya toh pita ke naam pe banega, ya ghar ke kissi aadmi ke naam pe’ (It will be made either in the name of the father or a male member of the house). This was impossible for me.”
Despite failing attempts to get the caste certificate, Devi approached the area MLA, Vishesh Ravi, who wrote multiple letters to the officials in the Revenue Department and met those in the Social Welfare Department and Department for the Welfare of SC/ST of Delhi.
Previously, SC/ST caste certificates were issued only based on the father's' caste certificate or paternal side certificates, as per the Delhi government. Due to this, many single mothers could not get SC/ST caste certificates for their children.
The issue had been raised by Ravi in the Delhi Legislative Assembly as well in 2020.
As per officials, the procedure for the issuance of SC/ST caste certificate based on a single mother’s caste certificate was amended in July 2020.
(With inputs from The Indian Express.)
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