First caste certificate on mother's credentials issued in Delhi

The first caste certificate on mother's credentials was issued to the child of a single mother named Geeta Devi in Delhi by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday.

"Geeta Devi was struggling to get an SC certificate for her child for the past eight years. Her application was rejected multiple times, citing the absence of father's caste certificate. A year back, she had approached Vishesh Ravi, AAP MLA from Karol Bagh, seeking help in getting an SC certificate for her child," the Delhi government said in a statement.

Single mothers are the women who are either abandoned by their husband or whose husband has married another woman or whose husband has divorced the woman or has died. They can now get caste certificates made for their children on their name.

Previously, SC/ST certificates were issued based only on the father's caste certificate or paternal side certificates. Due to this procedure, many single mothers can't get SC/ST certificates in their children's name.

Many children of single SC/ST mothers can't get SC/ST certificates despite growing up in a deprived and vulnerable environment, thus denying them the basic rights of reservation or scholarships.

In its statement, Delhi government claimed that Vishesh Ravi had been pursuing this matter with the Revenue Department, Social Welfare Department and Department for the Welfare of SC/ST in Delhi, adding, "He wrote a series of letters to the Revenue Department officials and had multiple meetings with them."

The circular to amend the procedure for the issuance of SC/ST certificate based on single mother's credentials was issued on July 20, 2020, with the prior approval of the Revenue Minister.