Rajasthan Police Drops ‘Dalit’ from Official Records
Police directs officers to use 'Scheduled Caste' in all documents, citing court and government orders
- Rajasthan Police bans use of the term “Dalit” in official records and communication.
- Officers directed to use “Scheduled Caste” or “Anusoochit Jaati” instead.
- Order follows judicial directions and a 2019 Rajasthan government notification.
- Directive applies to FIRs, charge sheets, case diaries and all official documents.
GG News Bureau
Jaipur, 10th July: The Rajasthan Police has directed all its officers to discontinue the use of the word “Dalit” in official records and verbal communication, instructing them to use the legally recognised term “Scheduled Caste” or “Anusoochit Jaati” instead.
The directive, issued on July 2 by the Miscellaneous Cell of the Rajasthan Police, states that the term “Dalit” should neither be spoken nor written in any official government communication. The order has been circulated to all Directors General of Police, Police Commissioners, district Superintendents of Police, Deputy SPs and Station House Officers across the state.
Under the new instructions, the term will no longer be used in First Information Reports (FIRs), complaints, charge sheets, panchnamas, arrest memos, custody documents, case diaries, closure reports, official forms, applications, certificates and departmental correspondence.
The order was issued by Gyanchand Yadav, Superintendent of Police, Miscellaneous Cell. Explaining the decision, Yadav said the directive was based on earlier judicial and government instructions.
He said the move follows a 2018 order of the Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court and a Rajasthan government notification issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations on March 16, 2019. According to him, the Chief Minister’s Office recently directed fresh compliance after receiving a complaint that the term “Dalit” was still being used despite previous instructions.
The issue has also been addressed at the national level, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting having earlier advised media organisations to refrain from using the word “Dalit” in official broadcasts.
The directive reflects the distinction between legal and socio-political terminology. While “Scheduled Caste” is the term recognised under the Constitution and used in official records, “Dalit” has historically evolved as a socio-political identity. The term was coined by social reformer Jyotirao Phule and later popularised by B.R. Ambedkar as a symbol of social identity and resistance, although it is not part of the official constitutional classification.
