'No Affidavit On ₹500 Stamp Paper For Students,' Says Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule

Mumbai: In a major relief to students and parents, the state has decided to waive the condition of submitting affidavits on Rs 500 stamp papers, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Wednesday.

Students have to submit affidavits on Rs 500 stamp papers for various certificates such as caste, income, non-creamy layer, nationality certificates, and so on. Besides, they need further certificates from the state revenue department for educational purposes. From now on, it can be done by submitting an application on a simple paper at Setu Kendra, the minister has said.

The decision will be implemented with immediate effect, which means that for the next academic year, no student from the state will be asked to submit an affidavit on Rs 500 stamp paper. Currently, to get each certificate, parents spend roughly Rs 3,000. An application with self-attestation will ease such a financial burden.

The decision is the fallout of a judgment by the Bombay High Court while hearing a public interest litigation in 2021. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar bench of the HC had directed the state to inform all of its departments not to insist on affidavits on stamp papers.

Even though the government had communicated to all the offices of sub-divisional officers and tehsildars in October last year, the practice was on at the e-seva kendra to demand stamp paper for certificates. Now, with the clear directives by the revenue minister, students and parents will be informed about the decision.