Rajasthan Police Directs Officers to Use 'Scheduled Caste' Instead of 'Dalit'

The Rajasthan Police has directed all officers to stop using the word “Dalit” in official records and verbal communication, instructing them to use the legally recognised terms “Scheduled Caste” or “Anusoochit Jaati” instead. The directive applies across the state police force and requires the terminology to be changed in both written government documents and official communication.

The order was issued on July 2 by the Miscellaneous Cell of the Rajasthan Police, which handles unique and unclassified grievances and public petitions while working alongside the Scheduled Caste Cell. According to the directive, the word “Dalit” must neither be spoken nor written in official government communication, and officers have been instructed to ensure compliance.

The change will apply to a wide range of police documents, including First Information Reports, complaints, charge sheets, panchnamas, arrest memos, custody records, case diaries and closure reports. The term will also be removed from official forms, applications, certificates and correspondence. The order has been circulated to senior police officials and Station House Officers across Rajasthan.

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Gyanchand Yadav, Superintendent of Police in the Miscellaneous Cell, said the directive followed earlier judicial and government instructions. He cited a 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 in March 2019 as the basis for the latest direction.

Yadav said the Chief Minister’s Office issued fresh directions after receiving a complaint that the word continued to be used despite the earlier orders. The issue has also been addressed at the national level, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting previously advising media organisations to refrain from using the term “Dalit” in official broadcasts and use constitutionally recognised terminology instead.

The debate centres on the distinction between legal terminology and socio-political identity. “Scheduled Caste” is the term recognised under the Constitution and used in official government records, while “Dalit” has historically been used as a socio-political identity and a marker of resistance. Government records and official classifications, however, continue to recognise the term “Scheduled Caste”.

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