Aadhaar to include domicile, caste data

The Centre has asked all states to take immediate steps to link caste and domicile certificates to be issued to school students with Aadhaar number.

“The state government may also try to get the information of students fed into the meta data to be made online and may link it to Aadhaar-enabled data, if feasible. Sincere efforts should be made to issue these certificates along with the Aadhaar number,” reads a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) list released by the Ministry of Personnel on the issuance of caste and domicile certificates in schools.

As the responsibility of issuing residency and caste certificates rests with the state governments and Union territories, the Centre also asked them to issue both certificates within 30-60 days.

With complaints coming in from various quarters over the delay in granting scholarships to students belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, and the harassment by government officials in getting the caste and domicile certificates issued, the Centre decided to



streamline the system.

To avoid difficulties faced by SC/ST students, it has been proposed that ‘caste or tribe certificates’ as well as domicile certificates be issued to such students. Only a residence certificate may be issued to students other than those belonging to the SC/ST communities all over the country, while they are in Class V or VIII, as part of an annual exercise.

The state governments can choose either Class V or Class VIII students to issue this certificate. Once Class V or VIII students are chosen, the endeavour should be to issue the certificates to all pupils studying in that particular class, the FAQs said. The responsibility of collecting the documents from students will be of the school head or the principal.

Once the certificate is made, it may be given to students in a cellophane cover, as far as practical, through the school authorities, and be kept with the students for safe custody for availing benefits or concessions and facilities available to the category of students concerned, the FAQs said.