FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR THE CANDIDATES OF
SCHEDULED CASTE (SC) AND SCHEDULED TRIBE (ST) CATEGORIES
Q.1 What are reservation provisions available for the candidates of the
SC/ST categories?
A. Reservation is made for the candidates belonging to the SC/ST
categories in respect of vacancies as may be fixed by the Government.
Q.2 Are the SC/ST candidates eligible/allowed to apply for all the
Posts/Services under any Examination/selection?
A. Yes, provided they otherwise fulfill other eligibility criteria. Reservation
is, however, not available in respect of Examinations conducted for
recruitment to Defence Services viz., NDA & NA Examination and
Combined Defence Services Examination.
Q.3 Can the SC/ST candidates be considered against the vacancies
reserved for them even though SC/ST certificate is not available?
A. No. A SC/ST candidate is considered against SC/ST vacancies only if
he/she possesses a valid caste certificate. However, such SC/ST
candidates can always compete for the unreserved vacancies provided
they fulfill the eligibility criteria of General category.
Q.4 How much age relaxation could be allowed to the candidates of SC
and ST categories?
A. The prescribed upper age-limit of an Examination (wherever applicable)
is relaxable up to a maximum of 5 years in the case of candidates
belonging to SC/ST categories. SC/ST candidates, who also belong to
either PwBD or Ex-servicemen category, are eligible for grant of
cumulative age-relaxation under both categories.
Q.5 Whether an SC/ST candidate selected on his/her own merit
adjusted against reserved vacancy or unreserved vacancy?
A. A candidate of SC/ST category, selected on his/her own merit, without
availing of any of the concessions or relaxations to which such
candidates are entitled to, is recommended against unreserved
vacancies. If any concession or relaxed standards of selection has been
applied at any stage of selection process, such candidates will be
considered against vacancy reserved for the concerned category only.
Q.6 What are the concessions and relaxations in standards of
selection applicable to SC/ST category?
A. The candidates of SC/ST category are entitled to relaxed standards of
selection vis-a-vis the standards of selection adopted for General
Category.
Q.7 Whether change of category is allowed in case of SC/ST categories
candidates?
A. If the category indicated by a candidate in the application form for any
Examination of the Commission is Unreserved/General category but the
candidate subsequently writes to the Commission to change the
category to a reserved one i.e. SC/ST, such request is not entertained
by the Commission. Further, once a candidate has chosen a reserved
category (SC or ST), no request is entertained for change to other
reserved category viz. SC to ST, ST to SC etc. While the above principle
will be followed in general, there may be a few cases where there was a
gap of not more than 3 months between the issuance of a Government
Notification enlisting a particular community in the list of any of the
reserved communities and the date of submission of the application by
the candidate. In such cases, the request of change of category from
unreserved to reserved may be considered by the Commission on merit.
Q.8 Whether change of category to Unreserved/General category is
allowed in case of SC/ST categories candidates?
A. No, the SC/ST categories candidates, other than those recommended on
General Merit, shall not be allowed to change their category from SC/ST to Unreserved/General or claim the vacancies (Service/Cadre) for
Unreserved/General category after the declaration of final result.
Q.9 Who are competent to issue SC/ST certificate?
A. SC/ST certificate should be issued by any of the following authorities:
(a) District Magistrate/Additional District Magistrate/ Collector/
Deputy Commissioner/Additional' Deputy Commissioner/ 1st
Class Stipendiary Magistrate/ Sub-Divisional Magistrate/ Taluka
Magistrate/ Executive Magistrate/ Extra Assistant Commissioner
(b) Chief Presidency Magistrate/Additional Chief Presidency
Magistrate/ Presidency Magistrate
(c) Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tehsildar and
(d) Sub-Divisional Officer of the area where the candidate and/or his
family normally resides
(e) Administrator/Secretary to the Administrator/Development
Officer (Lakshadweep)
The certificate issued by any other authority is not accepted.
Q.10 A candidate’s caste/tribe has been recognised by the State
Government of the State to which his/her father belongs but not
by the Government of India. Is he/she eligible for such
reservation?
A. No, the caste/tribe should be included in the Central List for that
State.
Q.11 What should SC/ST candidates check before applying for an
Examination concerning their certificates?
A. The SC/ST category candidate should ensure that he/she fulfills all
the criteria applicable to him/her before applying for an Examination,
failing which his/her candidature will be liable to be cancelled. The
details of these criteria are as under:
(i) SC/ST certificate should be dated prior to closing date of
application or the cut-off date as may be prescribed in the
notification for the Examination concerned.
(ii) SC/ST certificate should be in prescribed format.
(iii) SC/ST certificate should be issued by the competent authority.
(iv) SC/ST certificate should contain the Signature, Stamp/Office Seal
of issuing authority. However, in case of digital certificate, where a
declaration dispensing any of the above requirement i.e. Physical
Signature/Stamp/Office Seal, has been made in the certificate, the
requisition to the extent of declaration will be dispensed with.
(v) Migration Clause/Para should also be the part of the SC/ST
certificate, if applicable.
(vi) Candidate’s Personal details should be as per Matriculation/School
Leaving Certificate, equivalent certificate, etc.
(vii) SC/ST certificate should contain the name of the caste/tribe
exactly as per the Central List.
(viii) SC/ST certificate should contain the relevant resolution of
Government of India of caste/tribe to which candidate belongs.
(ix) SC/ST certificate should contain the “ordinarily resides” para and
the same should be correctly filled in.
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