A Guide to Background Checks in India
Whether your candidates are in India or across the world, Checkr makes it easy to swiftly scale your hiring and minimizes the complexity of evolving background check regulations.
- Select a topic to scroll directly to it:
- Criminal search
- Education verification
- Employment verification
- Global watchlist search
- Disclaimer
Hiring outside the US can be tricky. Laws and regulations related to background screenings vary by country and continue to change, and language and cultural nuances also make things more complex.
Background screening is a common practice amongst companies in India. The most common background checks are education and past employment verifications.
Here’s what you should know about the different types of screenings Checkr offers for people who are working in India, or are working in other parts of the world and have a history of working or living in India.
Criminal search
What is it?
A national level search in India that returns available conviction records.
Checkr’s current Criminal search offering is a combination of the Police Verification and Online Criminal Certificate. The different search types are:
- Police Verification – This is a verbal verification (narrative). If there are any criminal records against applicants found in the registries then further investigation is required.
- Criminal Court Check – This is performed through an attorney and results would be published on their letterhead.
- Police Clearance Certificate – A clearance certificate is issued to applicant/third party
- Online Criminal Verification – Snapshot of online courts database search. Also known as the JUDIS search. Includes Supreme Court, High Courts, and Districts & Session Courts.
Source
There are variations of criminal record searches in India that are conducted at different sources. These are:
- Police Verification – Local Police Station of the respective jurisdiction
- Criminal Court Check – District Court and High Court
- Police Clearance Certificate – Police Commissioner Office/ Superintendent of Police
- Online Criminal Verification – Online database of District Court, High Court, Supreme Court
Information requirements
- Applicant’s Name
- Father’s Name
- Date of birth (DOB)
- Address
- Copy of a Government issued ID (Passport, PAN Card, DL, etc.)
- Authorization Form
Estimated turnaround time
On average 7-8 business days.
Order an India background check
Education verification
What is it?
The verification of academic status of any educational level such as high school, college and post grad. In India, an education verification may include institution name, dates of attendance, graduation/conferred date, degree obtained, major, minor, honors, awards, and comments.
Source
Registrars and administration offices from educational institutions across India. Please note that many institutions in India require additional documentation and fees to process the verification. Name and title of the sources will be provided when applicable.
Information requirements
- Applicant’s Name
- Name While Attending
- Date of birth (DOB)
- Institution’s Name
- Institution Address
- Institution Telephone Number
- Dates of Attendance
- Graduation Date
- Degree Obtained
- Major
- Minor
- Authorization – Must contain proper language for authorizing third parties to obtain the information.
- Diploma/Certificate – This is required by most institutions in India. Many times these documents contain unique identifiers that are verified against the Institution records, authenticating the document.
- Mark Sheets/Transcripts – These are required by most institutions in India.
Estimated turnaround time
On average 6 to 7 days. Verifications will be closed, as Unable to Verify, after 15 business days of unsuccessful attempts.
Employment verification
What is it?
Verification of previous job history to confirm work experience. An employment verification may include such information as the employer's name, dates of employment, position/title, and/or reason for leaving. Salary information will be provided if available for disclosure by the source.
Source
Government agencies and employers across the country. In some countries, the records of former employees are not kept in a searchable form and contacting the supervisor or manager is normal practice.
Information requirements
- Applicant’s Name - Last Name, First Name, Middle Name
- Date of birth (DOB)
- Employer’s Name
- Employer’s Address
- Employer’s Telephone Number
- Dates of Employment
- Position/Title
- Reason for Leaving
- Employee ID
- Authorization – Must contain proper language for authorizing third parties to obtain the information.
- Service Letters/Experience Letters – These are often required by multinational corporations in India.
- Other Information/Documentation – Most employers have unique processes for providing verifications that may include special authorization forms, and other types of requirements. These additional requirements will be communicated at the time of ordering if the need for additional information arises with a specific employer.
Estimated turnaround time
On average 6 to 7 business days. Verifications will be closed, as Unable to Verify, after 15 business days of unsuccessful attempts.
Global watchlist
What is it?
The Global Watchlist Search product provides a thorough search of multiple National and International repositories and government watchlists. The search consists of thousands of databases, many of which are updated daily to provide more up to date coverage.
Source
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), FBI Most Wanted (incl. Terrorists), FBI Seeking Information, FBI Hijack Suspects, Politically Exposed Persons, governmental lists, sanctions, enforcements and warnings from over 500 agencies, criminal courts, & news sources from around the world.
Information requirements
- Last name
- First name
- Date of birth (DOB)
- Authorization Form
Estimated turnaround time
On average 2 days. Verifications will be closed, as Unable to Verify, after 15 business days of unsuccessful attempts.
Disclaimer
This guide is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, and we encourage you to seek your own independent counsel when evaluating these services. Importantly, the specific screenings offered by Checkr do not guarantee an organization’s legal rights to request or use them. Several factors, including the residency and location of your organization and your candidates, may implicate additional data privacy and employment laws.
Read more
A guide to background checks in Australia
Learn about the different types of screenings Checkr provides for people in Australia.
Ready to run a background check in India?
Quickly scale your hiring while minimizing the complexity of evolving background check laws.