A Caste Validity Certificate is issued by a Caste Scrutiny Committee after it verifies your caste certificate. It is a different document from the caste certificate itself, and under Maharashtra’s law the caste certificate is valid only subject to this verification. This guide explains which portal applies, which committee to approach, what the portals ask for, the timelines they state, and what we could not confirm.
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Caste Certificate, Validity Certificate and Non Creamy Layer: Three Different Documents
| Document | Issued by | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Caste Certificate | Revenue Department (Sub-Divisional Officer/Deputy Collector), through Aaple Sarkar. Published time limit: 45 days. | Records your caste claim |
| Caste Validity Certificate | A Caste Scrutiny Committee, through CCVIS (most categories) or eTribe Validity (Scheduled Tribes) | Verifies the caste certificate |
| Non Creamy Layer Certificate | Revenue Department (Sub Divisional Officer), through Aaple Sarkar. Published time limit: 21 days. | Relates to the creamy-layer test for OBC, SBC and similar categories; see our Non-Creamy-Layer guide |
The Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, De-notified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate Act, 2000 (Maharashtra Act No. XXIII of 2001) sets this up. Section 4(2) says the caste certificate issued by the competent authority “shall be valid only subject to the verification and grant of validity certificate by the Scrutiny Committee.” We read the Act’s English translation hosted on the CCVIS portal. For the Aaple Sarkar side, see our Domicile, Caste and Income Certificate guide.
Which Portal Applies to You
| Category | Portal |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Castes, Vimukta Jatis, Nomadic Tribes, OBC, Special Backward Class and SEBC | CCVIS, the Caste Certificate Verification Information System run by BARTI (an autonomous institute of the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department) |
| Scheduled Tribes | eTribe Validity, under the Tribal Development Department |
CCVIS’s own pages say the Director General of BARTI is the Chief Coordinator of all district caste certificate scrutiny committees. The category list in CCVIS’s education manual includes Scheduled Caste, SC converted to Buddhism, Vimukta Jati (A), Nomadic Tribe (B), (C) and (D), OBC, Special Backward Class and SEBC.
Which Committee to Approach
Section 6(1) of the Act leaves the area of jurisdiction of each Scrutiny Committee to a government notification, and we did not find that notification. The 2012 Rules, as we read them, say an application goes to “the concerned Scrutiny Committee” but do not say whether that is decided by where your caste certificate was issued or where you live. CCVIS’s education manual asks for the district from which the caste certificate was issued. So don’t choose a committee solely because you currently live in Navi Mumbai. Use your certificate details, and confirm the correct committee with CCVIS or the committee’s office before submitting documents.
The portals list these committees that Navi Mumbai applicants may deal with. Navi Mumbai sits across Thane and Raigad districts, and the two “Thane” committees below are different bodies in different systems.
| System | Committee | Address | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCVIS | District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Thane | Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Social Justice Bhavan, 3rd Floor, Near Dattawadi Bus Stop, Kharegaon, Kalwa, Thane 400605 | 022-20814447, CCVIS contact page |
| CCVIS | District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Raigad | S No 76/2 B, Plot No 09, 1402 A, Ground Floor, behind St Mary’s Convent School, Chendhare, Alibag, Tal Alibag, Dist Raigad 402201 | 02141-299386, CCVIS contact page |
| eTribe Validity | Scheduled Tribe Scrutiny Committee, Thane (Konkan Division) | Vartaknagar, Thane (W) 400 606 | 022-2588 3503, eTribe contact page |
eTribe’s contact page lists the Thane committee’s jurisdiction as the Konkan Division districts, including Thane, Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban and Raigad. That does not guarantee that every Scheduled Tribe applicant living in Navi Mumbai applies there regardless of their certificate history, so confirm on the portal. Phone numbers and addresses can change, so check the contact pages.
Documents the Portals Ask For
These come from CCVIS’s FAQ and education manual and eTribe’s user manual, not from a test of the live forms. Requirements differ by purpose and category, so take the exact list from the portal’s current checklist for your case.
CCVIS, for education
- Application form: Form 16 for education. Other purposes use different forms: elections Forms 20 and 21, service Forms 18 and 19, and other uses Forms 22 and 23, all on CCVIS’s download page.
- Affidavits: a Form 17 affidavit and a Form 3 affidavit.
- Institution certificate: Form 15A, a certificate from the school or college principal.
- Caste evidence: the applicant’s caste certificate, plus secondary proof of caste from before the “deemed date” (for Scheduled Castes, before 10 August 1950; that date is the SC example in CCVIS’s list and is not a date for every category), such as a birth extract, a school leaving certificate or register extract of the applicant, father or paternal grandfather, or revenue or sale-deed records.
- Photograph and signatures: the applicant’s photograph and signature, and the applicant’s parent’s signature, which the FAQ lists as mandatory.
The FAQ describes the old records as “any one” of the listed documents, while the education manual marks the grandfather or uncle school record as mandatory, so the two CCVIS documents are not fully consistent. Follow the checklist shown on the portal for your purpose.
eTribe Validity, for Scheduled Tribes
The eTribe user manual (dated April 2016, so its screen instructions may be out of date) lists the caste certificate and an affidavit as mandatory documents, and a photograph, the applicant’s signature and a father or guardian’s signature as uploads. It calls other documents, such as the school leaving certificate and birth certificate, non-mandatory, and has fields for the reasons a document is unavailable and for additional documents. An upload field described as optional does not establish that the evidence will never be required. Follow any additional-document request from the committee; the manual has an Additional Documents tab for this.
If an old record can’t be found
CCVIS’s FAQ says that if listed documents are not available, you can attach other relevant documents, and lists “any other documents supporting caste claim”. If an old record cannot be located, ask the committee which alternative evidence it will consider. Don’t assume that one missing document automatically makes you ineligible, or that a newer document guarantees acceptance.
How to Apply
These steps come from the portals’ own FAQs and manuals. We have not completed an application, so treat them as navigation, not a tested walkthrough.
On CCVIS
- Register as a new user with your mobile number (OTP) and verify your email, then log in.
- Fill in the online form and upload scans of your documents.
- Print the submitted application and attach the documents, as originals or self-attested copies, as the FAQ instructs.
- Submit the set to the respective District Committee.
The CCVIS FAQ describes online submission followed by delivery of the printed application and documents to the committee. CCVIS’s home page also links a notice about accepting applications online and offline. By our reading, that is a letter dated 29 December 2020 that allowed both methods only on two days in December 2020, when the online system was slow, so it is not a standing offline route. If you cannot complete the online process, ask your committee what it accepts.
On eTribe Validity
- Complete the one-time registration.
- Fill in the application and upload the documents, photograph and signatures.
- Submitting generates an application number. The manual says applications are redirected to the committee automatically based on your information.
We found no fee amount in the manuals or FAQs, so we are not stating one, and we are not saying the service is free.
Time Limit
CCVIS’s FAQ says the Committee decides within three months from submission of the application to the respective committee, and in exceptional circumstances can take an additional two months. Rule 18(5) of the 2012 Rules gives the same periods without a start date. Because the printed set is delivered to the committee, keep the acknowledgement of the online submission and of the physical delivery. This is not a guarantee that approval will arrive before a separate admission or recruitment deadline. The Rules define applying “well in time” as at least six months before you need the benefit, so apply early. We found no timeframe for eTribe Validity in the sources reviewed.
CCVIS’s FAQ lists the purposes it handles: education, promotion or appointment in government service, elections from Gram Panchayat to Municipal Corporation, MHADA, CIDCO, and petrol pump and gas agency applications.
After You Submit
- Save your application number and acknowledgement.
- Check status and any document requests under Track Application on CCVIS. On eTribe, use the Application Status tab, which also sends SMS and email alerts.
- For a valid case, CCVIS says the certificate is sent with an e-sign to your registered email and is also available in DigiLocker. An invalid case is notified by SMS and email.
- To check that a certificate is genuine, use CCVIS’s validity certificate verification page.
- For technical or online-form problems, use the support contacts on the CCVIS contact page, which lists a toll-free line (1800 120 8040), WhatsApp numbers and a helpdesk email. The page says not to send technical problems to the district officers, who handle committee enquiries. Helpline numbers differ between CCVIS pages, so use the contact page.
Admission and Appointment Deadlines
If you need the certificate for an admission or job, the notice for that process sets the date. The notices we found for 2026-27 professional course admissions are below. They were issued by different bodies, and none of them says how it interacts with the others.
| Notice | Who it covers | What it says | Still to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| CET Cell B.E./B.Tech. admission notice, 2 July 2026 | Engineering CAP candidates in the backward categories | The original validity certificate or a receipt of the application is accepted at verification. A candidate with neither is treated as General category for CAP. A candidate admitted on a receipt must submit the original to the admitted institute on or before the final reporting date of the fourth CAP round, or the admission is cancelled. Backward Class candidates other than SC and ST also need a Non-Creamy Layer certificate valid up to 31 March 2027. | We read only the engineering notice. We did not find a calendar date for the fourth-round reporting date. |
| Social Justice and Special Assistance Department circular, 4 September 2026 | SC, Vimukta Jati, Nomadic Tribe, OBC and SBC candidates with confirmed 2026-27 admission to professional courses. Scheduled Tribes are not listed. | By our translation, a further three months counted from 4 September 2026 to submit the validity certificate, described as the final opportunity with no further extension. | The circular states no end date and does not say whether it changes the CAP notice’s fourth-round date. |
| General Administration Department decision of 2 July 2026, as referred to in that circular | SEBC and OBC candidates | Six months from the date of applying for admission. | We did not find or read the decision, and the circular does not say how it interacts with the three-month extension for OBC candidates. |
Check the latest notice that applies to your course and category, including any later extension, and get confirmation from the admission authority where the notices appear inconsistent. Applying to the committee early is sensible whichever date applies.
Expiry, Cancellation and Appeal
This guide has not verified a routine renewal requirement for a validity certificate, and we found no expiry provision in the Act or in the parts of the 2012 Rules we read. We are not saying a certificate is valid for life either. If an institution questions an existing certificate, ask for its written requirement and confirm the position with the issuing committee.
Section 7(1) of the Act addresses cancellation and confiscation of a false caste certificate obtained fraudulently, after the person has an opportunity to be heard. Section 7(2) says an order passed by the Scrutiny Committee under the Act is final and can be challenged only before the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution. That sub-section sits within the section on false certificates, so how it applies to a particular order is a legal question. An adverse validity decision is not necessarily a finding of fraud. If you receive an adverse scrutiny order, obtain the written order and seek advice on the remedy. The 30-day appeal in section 5 applies to a rejected caste certificate, not to a validity decision, and section 8 puts the burden of proof on the person claiming the caste. eTribe’s homepage warns that using false documents can mean up to two years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 20,000.
Before You Apply
- Confirm your category, which decides whether you use CCVIS or eTribe Validity.
- Have your caste certificate ready first; the validity process verifies it.
- Identify the committee from your certificate details, not only your current address, and confirm it before submitting the printed set.
- Collect the pre-deemed-date records for your category, and ask the committee about alternatives if one can’t be found.
- Take the forms and checklist from the portal for your purpose: education, election, service or other.
- Check your admission or job notice for its own deadline, and apply well in advance.
Related Guides
- EWS certificate in Maharashtra: eligibility and documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Caste Validity Certificate in Maharashtra?
A certificate issued by a Caste Scrutiny Committee after it verifies your caste certificate. Under section 4(2) of the Maharashtra Act of 2000, a caste certificate is valid only subject to this verification.
Is a caste certificate the same as a caste validity certificate?
No. The caste certificate is issued by the Revenue Department through Aaple Sarkar. The validity certificate is issued by a Scrutiny Committee through CCVIS or, for Scheduled Tribes, eTribe Validity.
Where do I apply for a caste validity certificate?
On CCVIS for Scheduled Castes, Vimukta Jatis, Nomadic Tribes, OBC, SBC and SEBC, and on eTribe Validity for Scheduled Tribes. CCVIS applications are also printed and submitted to the district committee.
Which committee should I apply to if I live in Navi Mumbai?
Don’t choose a committee solely because you live in Navi Mumbai. The Act leaves committee jurisdiction to a government notification we did not find, and the CCVIS form asks for the district that issued your caste certificate. Confirm the right committee with CCVIS or the committee’s office, using your certificate details.
How long does a Scrutiny Committee take to decide?
CCVIS says within three months of submission to the respective committee, with up to two more months in exceptional circumstances. This is not a guarantee against an admission deadline. We found no stated limit for eTribe Validity in the sources reviewed.
What documents are needed?
For CCVIS education applications: the caste certificate, Form 17 and Form 3 affidavits, a Form 15A certificate from the school or college principal, the applicant’s photograph and signature, the parent’s signature, and secondary proof from before the deemed date. eTribe lists the caste certificate and an affidavit as mandatory, plus a photograph and signatures. Check the portal’s current checklist for your purpose.
What if I can’t find an old record?
CCVIS’s FAQ allows other relevant supporting documents where listed ones are unavailable. Ask the committee which alternative evidence it will consider, and don’t assume a missing record makes you ineligible.
What is the fee for a caste validity certificate?
We found no fee amount in the CCVIS or eTribe manuals and FAQs, so we are not stating one or saying it is free. Check what your application shows.
Does a caste validity certificate expire?
This guide has not verified a routine renewal requirement, and we found no expiry provision in the Act or the parts of the Rules we read. If an institution questions your certificate, ask for its written requirement and confirm with the issuing committee.
Can an adverse scrutiny decision be challenged?
Section 7(2) of the Act says an order of the Scrutiny Committee under the Act is final and can be challenged only before the High Court under Article 226, but it sits in the section on false certificates, so how it applies to your order is a legal question. Not every adverse decision is a fraud finding. Get the written order and seek advice.
Do I need a validity certificate for an admission?
Many reserved-category admissions ask for it, and the notice for your admission sets the deadline. A circular dated 4 September 2026 grants a three-month submission extension to SC, Vimukta Jati, Nomadic Tribe, OBC and SBC candidates with confirmed 2026-27 professional course admissions. It is not a blanket extension for every admission or job, and a separate six-month provision for SEBC and OBC candidates is counted from the admission application date. Ask the admission authority which applies to you. For engineering CAP admissions, the CET Cell’s 2 July 2026 notice accepts a receipt of the application at verification. See the table above for how the later circular and other provisions differ.
Can I apply with a receipt if I do not have the validity certificate yet?
For engineering CAP admissions in 2026-27, the CET Cell notice of 2 July 2026 accepts a receipt of the validity application at verification. Without a certificate or a receipt you are treated as a General category candidate for CAP. The deadline for the original depends on which notice applies to you, because the CET Cell notice, a September 2026 circular and a separate six-month provision were each issued separately. See the table above, check the latest notice for your course and category, and ask the admission authority to confirm the date in writing if the notices appear inconsistent.
Is Form 15 the caste validity application form?
No. In the 2012 Rules, Form 15 is the notice for hearing objections to a caste certificate, used at the caste certificate stage. The education application for validity is Form 16, with Form 17 and Form 3 affidavits. The Form 15A on the CCVIS education checklist is a separate certificate from the school or college.
Can a child use the mother’s caste for a validity certificate?
The Act and the Rules do not say whose caste counts for a child. The Rules define a relative as a blood relative from the paternal side, the evidence they list is paternal-side records, and a woman applies in her maiden name with her relatives’ documents. We found no Maharashtra resolution on children of inter-caste marriages. SCC Online reported that in February 2025 a Bombay High Court bench asked the state to consider letting applicants enter the mother’s status on the Aaple Sarkar portal. That is a direction to consider, not a ruling that the mother’s caste counts. In Rameshbhai Dabhai Naika v. State of Gujarat (18 January 2012) the Supreme Court held that for a child of an inter-caste marriage, or of a tribal and a non-tribal parent, there may be a presumption that the child has the father’s caste, but the presumption is not conclusive and the child can lead evidence, such as having been brought up by the mother in her community. The question is decided on the facts of each case. It is not a free choice of either parent’s caste, and Maharashtra’s committees apply their own Rules and evidence checklist.
Is there an urgent route for a caste validity certificate?
We found no standing urgent route or fee-based fast track in the Act, the Rules or the CCVIS FAQ. BARTI announced a time-limited campaign, Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, for 17 September to 17 October 2026, so do not assume it is available after that date. It offered camps at district committees for students admitted in 2026-27 to clear pending cases and fix defects. By our translation of the Marathi appeal, applicants remain responsible for completing any defect rectification.
Sources and Verification Date
Sources checked on 2 and 3 October 2026: the CCVIS portal, including its English translation of the 2000 Act, the 2012 Rules, FAQ, education manual, contact and notice pages and the December 2020 notice on accepting applications; the eTribe Validity portal, its contact page and its April 2016 user manual; and the Aaple Sarkar service pages for the Caste Certificate and Non Creamy Layer. The Act, Rules, notice and the 4 September 2026 circular are scanned documents that we read as images, and translations from Marathi are ours. The CET Cell notice, BARTI appeal and the 4 September 2026 circular were read as published; the appeal and circular are scanned Marathi documents. We did not read every form in the Rules, did not find the committee jurisdiction notification or the 2 July 2026 resolution, found no fee, and did not complete an application. Verify current requirements on the portals before applying.
