The Institute has been attending to pre admission scrutiny of candidates seeking admission into Engineering, Medical, Agricultural, Veterinary science, Polytechnic, MBA, MCA, Post graduation and curbing bogus S.T certificate holders from grabbing the benefits meant for genuine S.T Candidates. The institute is also attending to the complaint made by both State and Central govts against candidates recruited under S.T quota for verification.


NEED FOR VERIFICATION OF GENUINENESS OF SCHEDULED TRIBE COMMUNITY CERTIFICATES.

The Constitution of India has provided various concessions and safeguards to Scheduled Tribes for their development in the shape of reservations in education, employment, political offices and protection against exploitation especially in Scheduled Areas. Accordingly Government of Andhra Pradesh is extending the above benefits and various ameliorative measures for their speedy socio-economic development and to bring them on par with the mainstream.

The crucial document to avail the above constitutional benefits is the Caste /Community, Nativity and Date of Birth Certificate issued by the competent Authorities prescribed by the Government and a person obtaining this certificate will become eligible for the above benefits. With a malafide intention of cornering these benefits meant for genuine Scheduled Tribes, people belonging to non tribal Communities/Castes are obtaining false Certificates by fraudulent means and in the recent times, with the increased tempo of development of Scheduled Tribes and increased avenues of education and employment. The incidence of false/bogus Scheduled Tribe Certificates is on increase and the bogus Certificate holders are whittling down the Constitutional Rights and privileges of the legitimate Scheduled Tribes and thereby defeating the very purpose of Constitutional Scheme of reservations etc. Therefore, there lies the need for verification of genuineness of Community Certificates and accordingly, since 1980s, the TCR & TI, Hyderabad is conducting such verification of Scheduled Tribe Community Certificates and has found more than 2000 bogus Scheduled Tribe Certificates.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh in order to curb effectively the evil practice of producing false Community Certificates as belonging to SCs, STs and BCs, have enacted the Andhra Pradesh (SCs, STs and BCs) Regulation of Issue of Community Certificate Act, 1993 (Act 16 of 1993) in which strict procedures have been prescribed for issue of Community Certificates by Competent authorities, cancellation of false Community Certificates, Appeal and Review by the Government, penalties on false Certificate holders and Competent Authorities who issued such false Certificates.

In order to put into practice the provisions of the Act 16 of 1993, rules have been issued in G.O.Ms.No.58, S.W.(J) Department, dt. 12-5-1997.

The Government have also issued G.O.Ms.No.245 S.W.(E) Department, dt 30 th June 1977, prescribing detailed guidelines to Certificate Issuing Authorities for identification of genuine tribal candidates before issue of Community Certificates. These guidelines contain details of traditional areas of habitation, synonyms and sub groups, cultural traits like types off marriages, social division, language, deities worshipped, festivals etc, among different Tribal groups.

Further, the Commissioner of Tribal welfare has communicated clarifications to all District Collectors on determination of Scheduled Tribe status of persons seeking Scheduled Tribe Community Certificates especially with regard to areas of habitation, migration, date of notification of different groups as Scheduled Tribes, claims through marriages, adoptions and through similar nomenclature etc., (Vide Lr.Rc.No.1440/2005/TRI/TEEC, dt.26-05-2005.)

Cases of certificate holders referred through complaints from any person, Community associations, Educational Institutions, Employers, Recruiting Agencies and by Tribal Welfare Department, are being dealt by the District Level scrutiny Committee on whose recommendation, the District Collector (Competent Authority) is taking action to cancel or confirm the Scheduled Tribe status claims.

Inspite of the above Act, G.O.s and Guidelines, the occurrence of false Scheduled Tribe Community Certificates is continuing and therefore TCR & TI, is conducting Training Programmes to authorities competent to issue Community Certificates i.e. MROs, RDO and Sub Collectors on issue of Certificates, which includes methods for verification of false Scheduled tribe claims, provisions of the Act, 16 of 93, different GOs, Guidelines, clarifications on their doubts relating to Scheduled Tribe claims specific to their jurisdictions etc.