The Chief Minister's Office of Karnataka announced on Monday, 20 July 2026 that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar launched the Revenue Department's special campaign for free doorstep delivery of caste certificates across Karnataka, along with a new Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) service, at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru. Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara was present at the launch.

Context

The campaign centres on 4.85 crore digital caste certificates that have been organised village-wise and shared with Deputy Commissioners for printing and doorstep distribution across the state. Citizens can download their certificates free of cost through the dedicated portal nadakacheri.karnataka.gov.in/AJSKCertificates. Free printing assistance centres have also been established at every hobli to support those without internet access.

Nearly 85 lakh caste certificates have already been linked to citizens' mobile numbers, enabling them to receive a secure download link via WhatsApp or SMS. The dual-channel approach — doorstep physical delivery alongside mobile-linked digital access — is designed to reach both connected and offline households across rural and urban Karnataka.

Policy Backdrop

The initiative builds on Karnataka's two-decade e-governance trajectory. The state's Bhoomi project, launched in 2000, digitised land records and established the administrative foundation for online revenue document issuance. The Sakala Act of 2011 then mandated time-bound delivery of public services, accelerating the shift to digital certificates.

The Nadakacheri portal, Karnataka's integrated online platform for revenue services, has since become the backbone of caste, income, and residence certificate issuance in the state. The current campaign scales that infrastructure to proactively push certificates to citizens rather than requiring them to apply, a significant shift in the service-delivery model.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are caste certificate applicants from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Other Backward Class communities, for whom such documents are prerequisites for education reservations, government jobs, welfare schemes, and legal entitlements. Rural households with limited mobility or digital literacy stand to gain most from the doorstep delivery component.

The newly launched Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) service introduces a uniform, transparent, and legally recognised framework for residence certificate issuance across the state. Citizens can apply through the nearest Nadakacheri, Grama One, Karnataka One, Bengaluru One, or Bapuji Seva Kendra, or online at ajsk.karnataka.gov.in. The standardised PRC framework aims to eliminate inconsistencies that previously arose from varying formats used across districts.

What's Next

Authorities will track rollout metrics including citizen uptake of the WhatsApp and SMS download links and the pace of physical distribution through Deputy Commissioners. The legal standing of the new PRC format across state agencies and courts will be a key benchmark for the initiative's success.

Karnataka's model of combining proactive digital push with assisted offline access mirrors approaches adopted by several other states for similar documents. How effectively the 4.85 crore certificates reach intended beneficiaries at the last mile will determine whether this campaign sets a replicable standard for citizen-centric service delivery in India.