The Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission (GARC), in its fifth report submitted to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday, has said that despite efforts to simplify the process, caste certificate services continue to be among the most difficult to manage.
A national daily reported that it was prepared under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister’s Principal Adviser Hasmukh Adhia. It reassesses citizen service delivery across Jan Seva Kendras (JSKs), Village Computer Entrepreneurs (VCEs), and City Civic Centres. The GARC, set up under Adhia’s leadership, aims to introduce reforms in the administrative structure and improve state government functioning.
According to the news report, the key challenges include frequent documentation inconsistencies, gaps in legacy data, and ambiguities in caste classification.
JSK operators often struggle with the absence of a system to track how many caste certificates a person has received, resulting in duplication and weak record management.
Under caste certificate services, ten categories are offered. Of these, only the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates rank among the top 20 services by volume. The total number of caste certificates rose by 40 per cent, from 366,385 to 511,017 (1.65 million total).
ST certificates formed 48 per cent of the total at 791,673, with 295,294 issued in 2024–25. The number of ST certificates increased by 20 per cent year-on-year, showing the need to improve workflows and outreach in tribal areas.
The report noted that the extensive document requirements lead to several manual verification stages and longer processing times for SC and ST certificates. For Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates, problems arise from nomenclature issues and system mismatches. Surnames like “Modh Patel” and “Kalal” often cause discrepancies.
The removal of the word “Hindu” from caste names in 2018 continues to create portal conflicts. Manual data entry is still needed for castes such as “Anjana Patel,” “Chaudhari Patel,” “Muslim Vhora,” and “Pathan.” Many of these have been removed from central government records but remain in local databases.
The news report added that castes under Baxi Panch, including “Vaas Foda” (OBC) and “Thori” (SC), pose unique problems when Leaving Certificates list the full surname “Vaas Foda Thori,” making it difficult for operators to select the right category. These mismatches and document gaps delay processing and increase citizen frustration.
The report stated that elderly applicants often struggle to provide supporting documents, especially for ST certificates. Verification becomes difficult when school leaving certificates or land records (Jamin na Utara) are missing, often due to low education levels, land acquisition cases, or natural calamities.
Applicants are also required to show a family member’s caste certificate issued by the Social Justice and Empowerment Department (SJED), forcing multiple visits to various offices. While most services require 8–9 documents, ST certificates can demand 30–38. ST applicants must prove residence in Gujarat from 1950, while SC applicants need records dating to April 1, 1978, conditions that are rarely met.
The GARC has recommended Aadhaar-based tracking and QR-coded e-signatures to improve authenticity and prevent repeat issuances. It suggests a single, standardised application form for all caste certificate requests, supported by only essential documents. For SC and ST applicants, proof of residence in Gujarat before 6 September 1950, along with school or service records of parents or grandparents, should suffice.
For SEBC applicants, proof through school-leaving certificates and family records would be required. A unique Aadhaar-linked ID would allow officers to verify previous issuances and prevent duplication. The fully digital process would be operated through Jan Seva Kendras in urban areas and e-Gram Panchayats in rural regions.
Certificates would be issued in Gujarati and English, digitally signed, and embedded with a QR code for instant verification.
Applicants would receive SMS updates, and certificates could be delivered in PDF format directly to their registered mobile numbers, reducing physical visits.
Competent authorities such as collectors, deputy collectors, district development officers, Mamlatdars, and Taluka development officers would continue to issue caste certificates.
The report also stressed the need for vigilance. It said that any certificate issued on false information should be cancelled. The benefits, it said, should be withdrawn. It recommended that legal action must be taken against both the applicant and any negligent official.
Also Read: Gujarat: Tribal Man Ends Life Over Bureaucratic Delay in Caste Certificate Process https://www.vibesofindia.com/gujarat-tribal-man-ends-life-over-bureaucratic-delay-in-caste-certificate-process/
