Odisha Govt bans use of ‘Harijan’ in official communications

Bhubaneswar: The ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department of Odisha, with the Chief Secretary’s approval, has issued a directive instructing all government departments, autonomous bodies and subordinate offices to use only the constitutional term “Scheduled Caste” — as defined under Article 341 of the Indian Constitution — along with its appropriate translation in Odia and other national languages.
 

This order, issued on Tuesday, reinforces earlier guidelines from the Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (2012) and a recent Odisha Human Rights Commission ruling dated January 31, 2025 (Case No. 233/2025). All offices are required to ensure strict compliance, raise awareness among staff, and update existing records to reflect the new terminology wherever possible.

Departments must submit compliance reports to the ST & SC Development Department to confirm adherence.