Bengaluru: Members of Scheduled Caste (SC) communities from across Bengaluru held a massive protest at Freedom Park demanding immediate intervention to resolve delays and denials in issuing caste certificates. The protest, organized by grassroots community leaders, highlighted the bureaucratic hurdles that continue to deny vulnerable families access to essential government welfare schemes.

The demonstrators, many of whom live in informal settlements, raised concerns about the mandatory requirement of school transfer certificates (TCs) for caste verification—an unrealistic demand for thousands who are unlettered or migrated from other districts and states. Despite belonging to historically marginalized SC communities, these families are unable to produce documentary evidence such as school records, leaving them excluded from schemes that require caste-based proof.

Single women and widowed mothers shared emotional testimonies about their children being denied caste certificates due to the absence of the father’s caste proof or school documents. “Even when we submit all possible documents at the Nadakacheri, our applications are rejected citing missing links. How will the poorest among us prove their roots when the system is designed to exclude us?” asked Lakshmamma, a resident of a Ambedkar Nagar, Majestic Cluster slum in Bengaluru.

The protestors pointed out that in several cases, even within the same household, income certificates issued to children reflected lower limits than those provided to their parents—raising questions on the reliability and fairness of the current system.

Adding to the frustration, those who had received caste certificates a decade ago are now being asked to apply afresh for digital caste certificates, without any clear process to transition old documents into the new system.

Amid the protest, Additional Director of the Department of Social Welfare, Nagesh, visited the site and addressed the gathering. Speaking to the media, he acknowledged the seriousness of the issues raised and said, “We understand the hardships being faced by the SC communities in obtaining caste certificates. I will personally coordinate with the Revenue Department and arrange for a joint meeting to resolve these systemic issues.”

It may be recalled that a similar discussion was held at the Vidhana Soudha on January 22, 2025, with officials from the Department of Social Welfare. However, the protestors said that no progress had been made since.

Community leaders urged media outlets to amplify their demands so that the state government is compelled to implement alternative systems for certificate issuance, especially for historically disadvantaged groups with limited documentation.