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Allahabad High Court Declares Caste Glorification ‘Anti-National’, Orders Removal of Caste References from Police Records and Public Spaces

Court says true patriotism lies in respecting the Constitution, not caste lineage

UP Government told to delete caste columns from FIRs, vehicles, and signboards, act against caste glorification on social media

By Our Legal Reporter

Prayagraj, September 21, 2025 – In a historic judgment aimed at dismantling caste-based discrimination, the Allahabad High Court has ruled that glorifying caste is “anti-national” and ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to remove all caste references from First Information Reports (FIRs), police documents, public records, vehicles, and signboards.

Justice Vinod Diwakar, delivering the verdict on September 16, said that reverence for the Constitution, rather than for lineage, is the highest form of patriotism. The court stressed that if India is to become a truly developed nation by 2047, the deeply entrenched caste system must be eradicated through sustained efforts at every level of governance.

The Case That Sparked the Ruling

The judgment came while hearing a petition under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) filed by Praveen Chetri, in which the court noticed that the caste of the accused was mentioned in the FIR and seizure memo.

The court took strong exception to this practice, calling it “identity profiling” that has no legal relevance and violates constitutional morality. Justice Diwakar warned that such profiling “reinforces prejudice, corrupts public opinion, contaminates judicial thinking, violates fundamental rights, and undermines constitutional morality.”

Court Rejects Police Justification

Earlier, the court had directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to explain why caste references were included in police records. The DGP defended the practice as a way to avoid confusion between people with similar names, citing existing government formats.

However, the court dismissed this reasoning as a “legal fallacy”, pointing out that modern identification tools such as Aadhaar numbers, fingerprints, mobile numbers, and parental details make caste-based identification unnecessary and outdated.

The court also noted that despite Supreme Court orders prohibiting the mention of caste in legal pleadings and cause titles, police in Uttar Pradesh continue to record caste in FIRs and recovery memos — a practice the court called “unfortunate” in the 21st century.

Key Directions to the UP Government

The High Court issued a series of binding directions to the state government:

Delete caste columns from FIRs, recovery memos, arrest and surrender memos, police final reports, and notice boards in police stations.
Add the mother’s name for identification, along with the father’s or husband’s name.
Remove caste identifiers and slogans from private and public vehicles by amending the Motor Vehicles Rules.
Ensure removal of caste-based signboards declaring villages, towns, or colonies as caste territories.
Act against caste-glorifying content on social media under the IT Rules, 2021, with a monitoring and reporting mechanism.

The court also directed that a copy of the judgment be sent to the UP Chief Secretary, who must place it before the Chief Minister, and to the Union Home Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Electronics and IT, and the Press Council of India.

Quoting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Justice Diwakar invoked the words of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who had warned:

“Castes are anti-national because they generate jealousy and antipathy between caste and caste.”

The court said that a citizen’s true pride must lie not in caste but in character, and not in legacy but in equality and fraternity.

UP Government Acts on the Order

Following the judgment, the Uttar Pradesh Home Department issued a 10-point order on September 21 to all police and administrative authorities, implementing the court’s directions.

Key measures include:

Deleting the caste field from the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) database.
Recording the mother’s name in all police formats.
Erasing caste columns from police station notice boards.
Banning caste-based political rallies across the state, as they promote division and are against national unity.

Beyond Police Records: Tackling Public Displays

The court’s order goes beyond law enforcement records. It targets caste glorification in public life, including:

Stickers and slogans on vehicles celebrating caste identity.
Signboards declaring areas as belonging to a particular caste.
Social media content that promotes caste-based pride or hostility.

The court said such displays deepen social divisions and contradict the constitutional vision of equality.

Educational and Social Reforms Suggested

The judgment also urged the government to:

Introduce school curriculum modules teaching equality, dignity, and the dangers of caste prejudice.
Promote inter-caste community centres instead of exclusive caste-based institutions.
Provide mandatory caste-sensitivity training for public officials, teachers, and employees.

A Step Towards a Caste-Free India

Legal experts have hailed the ruling as a progressive step towards dismantling caste-based discrimination. They note that while laws against caste atrocities exist, there has been no comprehensive legal framework to dismantle the caste system itself.

By linking caste glorification to national unity and constitutional morality, the court has set a precedent that could influence similar reforms in other states.

Challenges Ahead

However, activists caution that implementation will be key. Removing caste references from records and public spaces is a start, but changing deeply ingrained social attitudes will require sustained education, awareness campaigns, and political will.

Social media monitoring, in particular, will be challenging given the vast volume of content and the difficulty of distinguishing between cultural expression and caste glorification.

Conclusion

The Allahabad High Court’s ruling is a landmark in India’s constitutional journey towards equality. By declaring caste glorification “anti-national” and ordering sweeping reforms, the court has reaffirmed that true patriotism lies in upholding the Constitution’s promise of dignity, equality, and fraternity for all citizens.

If implemented effectively, these measures could mark a turning point in India’s long struggle against caste-based discrimination — and bring the nation closer to the vision of a caste-free society by 2047.