Intercaste Marriage Scheme

Social Justice Department of Government of Kerala has introduced Intercaste Marriage Scheme to promote equality. Under the scheme, the Kerala Government provides financial assistance to intercaste married couples. This scheme is not applicable for couples reserved under the scheduled caste or scheduled tribe. To avail these benefits, marriage certificate needs to be submitted. In this article, we look at the procedure for obtaining a benefit under the intercaste marriage scheme.

Benefits of Intercaste Marriage Scheme

Benefits of intercaste marriage scheme are that it provides financial benefits to couples who have an intercaste marriage. The scheme also helps promote equality and tolerance amongst all persons of the community.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility criteria to get benefits under the intercaste marriage scheme are:

Combined family income of the couple should be less than Rs.50,000
The couple who are legally married can apply for this scheme
The couple can apply for this scheme after 1 year of marriage
If the couple is applying for this scheme after 3 years of marriage, the application will not be considered

Financial Assistance for Intercaste Marriage

The Government provides one-time financial assistance of Rs.30,000 to all eligible intercaste married couples in Kerala. While receiving the amount, the couples need to sign an agreement and submit to LSGI. Financial assistance under this scheme is also for the following purposes:

To start a business
For purchasing land
House construction

LSGI will verify whether the funds are being utilized for the purposes mentioned above.

Documents Required

Below mentioned supporting documents are necessary to avail intercaste marriage scheme in Kerala:

Ration card
Income Certificate of the couples – Original need to be submitted
Intercaste marriage registration certificate (Marriage certificate) (Certificate issued by Sub Registrar’s office, Panchayat President, a certificate issued from NSS or SND can be submitted.)
Caste certificate of both wife and husband
Certificate proving that inter-caste married couple has been together for the past 1 year. (It can be obtained from Gazetted Officer, MLA, and MP of concern locality)
Identity proof such as Voter ID card and Aadhaar card copy

Applying for Intercaste Marriage Scheme

The applicant has to fill an application and submit the application along with all required documents to concerned District Social Justice Officers.