The government of Rajasthan has launched a campaign to replace unusual or derogatory names in school registers with more meaningful alternatives. The initiative, called "Sarthak Naam Abhiyan", aims to protect students from embarrassment and loss of confidence caused by names such as "Sheru" and "Shaitan" that have found their way into official records.
School Education Minister Madan Dilawar said on Tuesday that names play an important role in shaping a child's identity and personality. He explained that parents sometimes choose names without fully understanding their meanings, or for social reasons, leaving children to suffer the consequences as they grow older. "Sometimes parents choose names without being aware of their meanings," he said, "but later children may develop a sense of inferiority because of them."
The education department has identified between 2,000 and 3,000 problematic names across government and private schools. It has also prepared a list of nearly 3,000 meaningful alternatives, comprising 1,541 names for girls and 1,409 for boys, complete with their meanings, which will be shared with parents.
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Schools have been asked to identify affected students sensitively and to engage with families through parent-teacher meetings and School Management Committees. Parents of newly admitted pupils will be offered names from the suggested list at the time of enrolment, while families of existing students may apply for a name change under prescribed rules.
The minister also called for the removal of caste-based or historically derogatory terms from official records, saying that respectful alternatives must be adopted. Senior officials will oversee the campaign and review its progress on a regular basis.
(With inputs from PTI)
