Madras High Court Directs Educational Institutions to Drop Caste-Based Names in the Interest of Equality

In a significant move to curb caste-based discrimination, the Madras High Court has ruled that all educational institutions in Tamil Nadu must remove caste identifiers from their names. The Court emphasized that allowing such names goes against the constitutional principle of fraternity and contributes to social division.

Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy, delivering the judgment, instructed the Inspector General of Registration to ensure that societies are not registered with caste names or for promoting caste-centric objectives. Existing institutions with such names have been given a deadline of four weeks to comply with the directive. Non-compliance may lead to de-recognition, and students studying in such institutions would be accommodated in recognized alternatives.

The Court further ordered that all government-run schools and hostels should drop caste references and be named simply as “Government School” or “Government Hostel” along with their respective locations. If donors’ names are retained, any caste indicators must be removed from them as well.

These directions closely follow the recommendations of the Justice K. Chandru Committee, which was constituted to tackle caste-based segregation and foster inclusivity in educational spaces. The committee had urged for caste-neutral names to ensure a safe and equal environment for students from all communities.

This ruling stands as a progressive step towards dismantling visible markers of caste hierarchy in the education system and promoting true social equality.