Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday directed the district administrations to issue lifetime caste certificate to school students within the next six months.

In a meeting with Additional District Magistrates of all the 30 districts, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said the issuance of caste certificate to 19 lakh students would be taken up in campaign mode.

"The state government has decided that the school students from class 5 to Plus Two belonging to the ST (scheduled tribe), SC (scheduled caste) and SEBC (socially & economically backward caste) will be issued with caste certificates," he said.

(IANS)