The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday announced a blanket ban on caste-based references in police documents and public spaces, following directives from the Allahabad High Court aimed at curbing caste discrimination.
Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar issued the order to all departments, stating that caste will no longer be mentioned in First Information Reports (FIRs), arrest memos, or other police records. Instead, parent names will be used for identification.
The directive also mandates the immediate removal of caste symbols, slogans, and references from police station noticeboards, vehicles, and signboards. Additionally, caste-based rallies have been prohibited across the state, with law enforcement instructed to closely monitor social media to prevent violations.
However, exceptions remain in cases filed under the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, where caste identification is legally required. To ensure compliance, amendments will be made in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and police manuals.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, during a Janta Darshan in Gorakhpur, extended Navratri greetings to the people of the state. He also highlighted the government’s long-term vision, announcing that over 300 intellectuals, including retired senior officials and vice-chancellors, have been engaged to draft a roadmap for “Developed India–Developed Uttar Pradesh 2047.”
The experts are set to interact with academic institutions across the state to collect public inputs on development goals for the coming decades.