Monday, February 04, 2013
Need to avoid the use of term “Harijan” in respect of Scheduled Castes in official communications and transactions
No. 17020/64/2010-SCD (R.L.Cell)
Government of India
Social Justice and Empowerment
Department of Social Justice and Empowerment
Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi
New Delhi, dated: 22.11.2012
To,
The Chief Secretaries,
All State Governments/
Union Territory Administrations.
Subject : Need to avoid the use of term “Harijan” in respect of Scheduled Castes in official communications and transactions.
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, in which all the
State Governments / Union Territory Administrations were requested to
issue instructions to the authorities who were empowered to issue the
Scheduled Castes certificates, not to insert the word ‘Harijan’
in the Scheduled Caste certificates, but to mention only the name of the
caste to which the person belongs. Subsequently the Ministry of Welfare
(now Social Justice and Empowerment), vide letter No.
12025/14/90-SCD(R.L.Cell), dated 16.08.1990, had again requested the
Chief Secretaries of all State Governments/Union Territory
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
included in the Presidential Orders issued under Article 341 of the
Constitution. The State Governments / U.T.Administrations were also
requested that in the names of departments, which are in overall charge
of development/welfare of Scheduled Castes, the term ‘Harijan’ etc.
should not be used.
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