The West Bengal government has directed district administrations to begin re-verification of caste certificates issued over the past 15 years, citing concerns over the authenticity of several documents.
Kolkata: The West Bengal government has ordered a large-scale re-verification of caste certificates issued since 2011, including those distributed through the state’s Duare Sarkar camps.
The directive, issued on Friday by the backward classes welfare department, covers nearly 1.69 crore caste certificates issued over the last 15 years. According to officials, the certificates include around 1 crore Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates, 21 lakh Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates and nearly 48 lakh Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates.
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Authorities said approximately 47.8 lakh certificates were distributed through 10 phases of Duare Sarkar camps conducted across the state.
Govt cites concerns over authenticity
The order stated that the “authenticity and genuineness” of several caste certificates had been challenged by different quarters.
Officials also noted concerns that some second-generation caste certificates may have been issued based on documents whose validity is now under question.
The state government described the issue as “important and sensitive” and said district authorities must conduct fresh verification in line with existing norms and procedures.
The government warned that any caste certificate found to have been issued improperly could lead to legal consequences and strict administrative action.
Officials have also been instructed to freshly scrutinise caste certificates issued to individuals whose names were removed from electoral rolls during the recent SIR exercise.
The move is expected to trigger a major administrative review process across districts as authorities examine the validity of lakhs of caste-related documents issued over the past decade and a half.
Published: 16 May 2026, 08:15 am IST
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