In a sweeping move to curb caste-based discrimination, the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the immediate removal of all caste references from police records, vehicles, and public notices. The directive, issued late Sunday to all police units and district administrations, follows a recent Allahabad High Court judgment mandating an end to caste glorification in public and official domains.
Officiating Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar announced that the caste of accused persons will no longer be recorded in police registers, case memos, arrest documents, or displayed on notice boards at police stations. Instead, both the father’s and mother’s names of accused persons must be recorded in official documents.
The state’s Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) portal will also be updated to remove caste fields; until then, officials have been instructed to leave such fields blank.
Additionally, vehicles displaying caste-based stickers or slogans will be challaned under the Motor Vehicles Act, while boards and signs marking areas by caste identity in towns and villages must be dismantled immediately.
The order goes beyond administrative records, extending to the social sphere. Caste-based rallies and public events with political motives have been banned across the state. Authorities have also been tasked with closely monitoring social media for content promoting caste pride or hatred, with strict action to follow against violators.
Officials have been asked to train subordinate officers to ensure “immediate and effective compliance” with the new policy and spread awareness about the shift in practice.
The directions come in compliance with the Allahabad High Court’s September 16 ruling in Praveen Chetri vs State of UP and Others, which prohibited police from recording caste details of accused persons and directed the state to prevent caste glorification in public and digital spaces.
“This directive has been issued in compliance with the HC order and is effective immediately,” Kumar confirmed.
