Caste Certificate: West Bengal Govt Orders Re-Verification of 1.69 Crore SC, ST, OBC Certificates Issued Since 2011

The Government of West Bengal has directed district magistrates to re-verify all 1.69 crore Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued since 2011 following concerns over the authenticity of some documents.

The order was issued by the secretary of the Backward Classes Welfare (BCW) department on Thursday after allegations emerged over the past few years that caste certificates had been issued to ineligible individuals without proper verification. RG Kar Rape and Murder Case: West Bengal Govt Suspends 3 IPS Officers for Administrative Lapses, Negligence in Handling.

Government Order Cites Concerns Over Authenticity

“You are aware that around 1.69 crore caste certificates have been issued since 2011... Now, it has been observed that the authenticity and genuineness of some Caste Certificates issued since 2011 have been challenged by different quarters,” reads the official order.

“You are, therefore, requested to kindly advise all the Sub-Divisional Officers, who are the certificate issuing authorities, to re-verify all the Caste certificates issued since 2011,” the order further stated. According to sources in the state administration, complaints regarding alleged irregularities in the issuance of caste certificates had surfaced over the past few years. Who Is Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar? All You Need To Know As Kalyan Banerjee Replaces Her As TMC Chief Whip in Lok Sabha.

Focus on Duare Sarkar Certificates

Officials said a large number of certificates were issued during the Duare Sarkar programme, which was launched in the second half of 2020. According to records available with the BCW department, around 47.8 lakh certificates were issued through applications submitted at Duare Sarkar camps. These included 32.51 lakh SC certificates, 6.65 lakh ST certificates and 8.64 lakh OBC certificates.

“The practice of issuing caste certificates to ineligible people started just ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls by the previous government to get back a foothold in Jungle Mahal, where the BJP had won several seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The practice started after the government had launched the Duare Sarkar programme in the last half of 2020,” an official said.

Another official alleged that Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs), who are responsible for issuing caste certificates, were under pressure to process applications quickly. “As detailed scrutiny and verification could not be carried out because of the push from Nabanna, several ineligible people received caste certificates,” the official said.

Officials said the issue became more serious after second-generation caste certificates were issued based on allegedly invalid certificates. According to sources, members of SC, ST and OBC communities raised concerns that the inclusion of ineligible people could affect reservation benefits in government jobs and educational institutions.

Although complaints had reportedly been submitted to several SDO offices, officials claimed that no significant corrective action was taken earlier. “The situation in Jungle Mahal, where the majority of the SC and ST people reside, turned critical for the Trinamool Congress over the past few years. The BJP used the situation and strengthened its foothold in the area. The result was visible as the BJP won the majority of the seats in Jungle Mahal in the recent Assembly polls,” a source said.

Electoral Roll Deletions Also Under Scrutiny

The government order also directed authorities to examine caste certificates linked to individuals whose names were deleted from electoral rolls during the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

“Moreover, caste certificates issued to the persons and dependents whose names have been deleted from the electoral roll of the state in the recently concluded SIR exercise, shall be examined and may be cancelled following the due process as per the extant Act & Rules mentioned above. Any laxity in this regard will be viewed accordingly and personal liability of the issuing authority shall be fixed,” the order stated.

Verification Process Expected Across Districts

District magistrates have now been asked to instruct all certificate-issuing authorities to undertake a fresh verification process across districts.

The move is expected to involve scrutiny of records, verification of eligibility documents and examination of complaints related to previously issued caste certificates.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 16, 2026 11:14 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).