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Caste certificate is one of the most mandatory documents for filling forms for government schemes, scholarships, reservation and competitive examinations. Bihar government has made this entire system completely digital and transparent under the Right to Public Services Act (RTPS). Now there is no need for any citizen of the state to stand in long queues at the block or zonal office or make rounds of middlemen to get the caste certificate made. You can get a digitally signed caste certificate of Revenue Officer (RO) level free of cost through Service Plus portal from your smartphone. This online certificate is fully legally valid and is generated within the stipulated time frame (10 working days) and becomes available for download directly to your phone.
With the introduction of online application system on RTPS portal run by Bihar government, citizens are saving both time and money. The biggest advantage is that the entire work from applying to downloading the certificate becomes 100% paperless and sitting at home. The certificate issued has a digital signature and a unique barcode/QR code, so that its authenticity can be instantly checked at any office. This certificate has no fixed expiry date, that is, unless there is any change in the rules, it remains valid for life. Apart from this, the applicant continuously gets information about the status of the application through SMS and email on the registered mobile number.
Before starting the online application process, keep a digital copy of some important documents safe in your mobile so that there is no hindrance while filling the form. The applicant must be a permanent resident of Bihar and the caste he/she is claiming must be mentioned in the official caste list of the state government (Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Extremely Backward Class, Backward Class or General). Talking about documents, Aadhaar card of the applicant is the most important identity proof. If Aadhaar card is linked to mobile number, then OTP based verification is done directly. If mobile is not linked to Aadhaar, then scanned copy of Voter ID, PAN card, driving license or passport can be uploaded as identity proof. Along with this, it is mandatory for the applicant to have a recent passport size photograph (less than 350 KB in size).
To apply from mobile at home, first open the official website (serviceonline.bihar.gov.in or rtps.bihar.gov.in) in your phone’s browser. If you already have a login of ‘Meri Pehchan’ (Jan Parichay) then login, otherwise you can apply directly from the homepage without login. Go to the ‘RTPS Services’ section on the left side of the homepage and click on ‘General Administration Department’. After this, select ‘Issuance of Caste Certificate’ from the drop-down menu and click on ‘Revenue Officer Level’ in it. Now Form-1 (Caste Certificate Application Form for Scheduled Caste/Tribe/Backward Class) will open on the screen.
After opening the form, first select the gender of the applicant (Male/Female/Other) and salutation. After this type the name of the applicant in both English and Hindi; As soon as you press space from the mobile keyboard, the English name is automatically translated into Hindi. Similarly, enter father’s name, mother’s name and in case of married women, husband’s name. Make sure to enter your valid 10-digit mobile number and email ID as the certificate link is sent to these. After this, select District, Sub-Division, Block, Gram Panchayat/Municipal Body, Ward Number, Village/Mohalla, Post Office, Police Station and Pin Code in the Permanent Address section. Tick ’Same as Above’ if the current address is same as the permanent address. After this upload your passport size photo, select profession (student, government service, private service, business etc.) and select your class category and specific caste. Finally enter the captcha code and click on ‘Proceed’. If OTP option is not selected, then upload the copy of Aadhar Card by clicking on ‘Attach Annexure’ on the next page and press ‘Submit’ button. Once submitted, you will get an Acknowledgment Slip, save it as PDF.
Service is generally provided within 10 working days after application submission. If you want to check the status of your application, go to the ‘Citizen Section’ on the RTPS homepage and click on ‘Track Application Status’. There you can check the status through OTP verification by entering your application reference number and date of application. When the certificate is ready, you will receive an SMS with the download link on your registered mobile number. Apart from this, you can go to the ‘Download Certificate’ option on the homepage of the portal and enter your reference number and name and download the original digitally signed caste certificate in PDF format in one click, which can be directly printed and used for any government work.