Do community certificates expire?

Permanent community certificates issued in Tamil Nadu are generally valid for life. What ages is legibility and format, old handwritten cards are worth replacing with the digital version.

How to Get a Community Certificate in Tamil Nadu

Your community certificate decides your reservation category, fee exemption and age relaxation. If yours is old, damaged or missing, fix it long before a notification, revenue timelines don't follow exam calendars.

Step 1
Apply through e-Sevai
Community certificates in Tamil Nadu are issued through e-Sevai centres or the online e-Sevai portal (TN e-District), routed to your taluk revenue office.
Step 2
Carry parentage proof
A parent's community certificate, your birth certificate and school records are the usual basis. Requirements vary by case; the e-Sevai operator lists what your application needs.
Step 3
Track and collect the digital certificate
Issued certificates carry a verifiable certificate number and are downloadable. TNPSC verification accepts the standard TN digital format.
Step 4
Match it to your OTR profile
The community and name on the certificate must match your OTR entries exactly. Update whichever one is wrong before you apply to an exam.

Communal rotation (glossary)

Frequently asked questions

The exact TNPSC photo and signature requirements: 3.5×4.5cm photo at 20-50KB, 3.5×1.5cm signature at 10-20KB, 200 DPI, and the rejection reasons to avoid.

Documents Required for TNPSC Certificate Verification

The complete certificate verification checklist: education, community, PSTM, category claims, and the mismatches that disqualify candidates.

How to Get Your PSTM Certificate for TNPSC

Claiming the 20% Tamil-medium reservation: who issues the PSTM certificate, the format, and the year-wise proof most candidates miss.

How to Take Your TNPSC Application Photo at Home

A studio-quality application photo with a phone: the wall, the light, the framing, and resizing to 20-50KB, no photo shop needed.

Steps and specifications follow official TNPSC instructions and notification annexures. Sources: TNPSC official notifications. Figures are indicative and may change with each official notification. Data last reviewed: July 2026.

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