Chennai, 20 February (H.S.) : The Madras High Court has asked on Thursday the Tamil Nadu government whether it is possible to remove caste names from government-run educational institutions. Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy raised this question while hearing petitions, including one related to elections to the South Indian Senguntha Mahajana Sangam.

The judge emphasized that caste names should only be used to promote a casteless society, uplift the downtrodden, eliminate discrimination, and provide reservations. He noted that even street names have been modified to drop caste tags, and questioned why educational institutions cannot follow suit.

The Advocate General, PS Raman, replied that donors' names, which may include caste tags, are displayed in these institutions. However, the judge countered that this was not a sufficient reason to continue using caste names.

The court directed the AG to clarify the government's stance on this matter in an affidavit, specifically regarding societies with caste names and bylaws that restrict membership to a particular community.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary