Need to avoid the nomenclature "Dalit" for the members belonging to
Scheduled Castes - Govt of India Order
No.12017/02/2018-SCD(R.L.Cell)
Government of
India
Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment
Department of Social Justice and
Empowerment
Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi
New Delhi, dated: 15.03.2018
To,
The Chief Secretaries to all the State Governments/Union Territory
Administrations.
Subject:
Need to avoid the nomenclature "Dalit" for the members
belonging to Scheduled Castes.
Sir,
I am directed to refer to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) letter No.
BC 12025/44/80-SC&BCD.I/IV, dated 10.02.1982, addressed to all the
State Governments/Union Territory Administrations in which a request was
made to issue instructions to the authorities empowered to issue the
Scheduled Castes certificates, not to insert the word 'Harijin' in the
Scheduled Caste certificates, but to mention only the caste to which the
person belongs and which has been recognised as Scheduled Caste under
the Presidential Orders. Subsequently, the Ministry of Welfare (now
Social Justice and Empowerment), vide, letter No. 12025/14/90-SCD
(R.L.Cell), dated 16.08.1990, again requested the State Governments/ UT
Administrations that for all official transactions, matters, dealings,
certificates etc., the Constitutional term, 'Scheduled Caste' in English
and its appropriate translation in other national languages should
alone be used for denoting the persons belonging to the Scheduled
Castes. Thereafter, in compliance with recommendation of the Department
Related Parliamentary Standing Committee the aforesaid instructions were
again reiterated vide this Ministry's letter No.17020/64/2010-SCD
(R.L.Cell) dated 22.11.2012.
2. The Hon'ble High Court
of Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior Bench in its order dated 15.01.2018 passed
in W.P. No.20420 of 2017 (PIL)-Dr.Mohanlal Mahor Vs.Union of India &
Ors. has directed as under:-
"…..that the Central
Government/ State Government and its functionaries would refrain from
using the nomenclature ‘Dalit’ for the members belonging to Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes as the same does not find mentioned in the
Constitution of India or any statute."
3. All the
State Governments/U.T. Administrations are requested that for all
official transactions, matters, dealings, certificates etc., the
Constitutional term, '
Scheduled Caste' in English, and
its appropriate translation in other national languages should alone be
used for denoting the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes notified
in the Presidential Orders issued under Article 341 of the Constitution
of India.
Yours faithfully,
sd/-
(Arvind Kumar)
Director (SCD)
Source: http://www.icar.org.in
