- Rajasthan Police banned the use of the word Dalit in official communication and records
- Officers must use Scheduled Caste or Anusoochit Jaati instead of Dalit in all documents
- Dalit is a socio-political term while Scheduled Caste is the legally recognised official term
The Rajasthan Police has directed all its officers to stop using 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 was issued on July 2 by the Miscellaneous Cell of the Rajasthan Police, which deals with unique and unclassified grievances and public petitions and works alongside the Scheduled Caste Cell.
According to the order, the word "Dalit" must neither be spoken nor written in official government communication.
The direction means the police department will no longer use the term "Dalit" in First Information Reports (FIRs), complaints, charge sheets, panchnamas, arrest memos, custody documents, case diaries, closure reports, forms, applications, certificates and official correspondence.
The order has been circulated to all Directors General of Police, Police Commissioners, district Superintendents of Police and their deputies. Station House Officers (SHOs) across Rajasthan have also been directed to comply.
The order was issued by Gyanchand Yadav, Superintendent of Police, Miscellaneous Cell.
Speaking to NDTV, Yadav said the directive follows earlier judicial and government instructions.
"The word 'Dalit' will no longer be used as per the 2018 order of the Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court and a Rajasthan government order issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations on March 16, 2019. We received directions from the Chief Minister's Office after a complaint pointed out that despite these orders, the word 'Dalit' continued to be used. Therefore, this fresh order directs officials to use 'Scheduled Caste' or 'Anusoochit Jaati' instead," he said.
The issue has also been addressed at the national level. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had earlier issued an advisory to media organisations asking them to refrain from using the word "Dalit" in official broadcasts.
The debate centres on 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 been used as a socio-political identity.
The term was coined by social reformer Jyotirao Phule and later popularised by B.R. Ambedkar as a marker of social identity and resistance. However, government records and official classifications continue to recognise only the term "Scheduled Caste."
