E-Paper
No caste mention on FIRs, vehicles, signboards: What UP government order says
Caste-based rallies have been prohibited across UP. Law enforcement is tasked with ensuring strict monitoring of social media platforms to prevent violations
Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath government on Monday ordered a complete ban on caste references in police records and public places.
The order from the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Deepak Kumar came after the Allahabad high court directed the state government to take steps to end caste discrimination.
According to the order, the caste of the accused will no longer be mentioned in first information reports (FIRs), arrest memos, or other police documents. Cops will instead use the names of parents for identification purposes.
The order further directs that caste symbols, slogans, and references displayed on police station noticeboards, vehicles, or signboards must be removed immediately.
Additionally, caste-based rallies have been prohibited across the state, and law enforcement is tasked with ensuring strict monitoring of social media platforms to prevent violations. This will severely impact all political parties, including the BJP.
However, the government has clarified that exemptions will apply in cases filed under the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, where identifying caste remains a necessary legal requirement.
Amendments will be made to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and police manuals to effectively implement the high court's directive.
What did the Allahabad high court order cited by the UP government say?
The Allahabad high court order that the Uttar Pradesh government cited to implement the move had directed the state’s home department and DGP to frame and implement standard operating procedures by amending police manuals and regulations, if necessary, to prohibit caste disclosure in all police documents.
According to the order, cases lodged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, were the only exception where the directions would not apply.
The court also criticised the Uttar Pradesh DGP's justification for caste mentions, saying it was detached from “the complex realities of Indian society and the demands of professional policing.”
