Tamil NaduMonday, 3 August 2026·The Hindu - Tamil Nadu
VCK MP raises issue of derogatory caste names in Census; cites 1922 Madras Presidency order and SC/ST Act
VCK MP D. Ravikumar urged the Union government to stop derogatory caste names in Census and official records, citing a 1922 Madras Presidency order and the SC/ST Act, 1989.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On July 31, 2026, Villupuram MP D. Ravikumar raised in Parliament the issue of derogatory caste names in the Census and official documents, citing G.O. No. 817 issued on March 25, 1922 by the Madras Presidency.
Key specifics
- The issue was raised under Rule 377 in Parliament on July 31, 2026.
- G.O. No. 817, Law (General) Department, was issued on 25 March 1922 by the Justice Party Government of the Madras Presidency.
- The 1922 order directed that terms like “Paraiyan” and “Panchaman” be replaced with the caste-neutral term “Adi Dravidar”.
- Ravikumar cited the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, saying humiliating use of such terms is an offence.
- The appeal was made to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India to discontinue the practice.
Exam lens
Question type: Tamil Nadu history and polity, government orders, social justice, legal provisions. TNPSC may ask the year of the Madras Presidency order, the rule used in Parliament, or the Act cited.