UP to Curb Caste-Based Practices | 23 Sep 2025

Why in News?

The Uttar Pradesh government has issued a notification to curb caste-based glorification by banning caste-based political rallies, removing caste signboards, and prohibiting caste mention in police records to promote social harmony.

  • This decision follows a ruling by the Allahabad High Court in the Praveen Chetri v State of UP case, which criticized caste recording in police records as regressive and against the principles of a modern, secular India.

Key Points

  • Ban on Political Rallies: The notification imposes a blanket ban on political rallies based on caste identity, stating they promote social conflict and threaten “public order” and “national unity.”
  • Display on Vehicles: Vehicles displaying caste-related stickers, slogans, or identifiers will be subject to penalties under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
  • Ban on Signboards: Public signboards that glorify any particular caste or declare geographical areas as caste-based territories or estates must be removed immediately.
  • Revised Police Record Procedures: The order mandates the deletion of caste details from police records such as FIRs, arrest memos, and recovery documents.
    • The caste column in police databases (CCTNS portal) will be removed. Instead, the mother’s name will be recorded alongside the father’s name in all related documents.
  • Monitoring of Social Media: The government has instructed authorities to monitor social media platforms and take action against individuals spreading caste-based hatred or glorifying any caste group.
  • Exemption for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Act, 1989: The only exemption to the caste prohibition will apply to cases related to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, where caste identification remains essential.

Constitutional and Legal Provisions Against Discrimination 

  • Constitutional Provisions: 
    • Equality Before Law: According to Article 14, no person shall be denied equal treatment before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. 
    • Prohibition of Discrimination: Article 15 of the Constitution of India states that the State shall not discriminate against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any of them. 
    • Abolition of Untouchability: Article 17 of the Constitution abolishes Untouchability. 
  • Legal Provisions:  
    • The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955: The act was enacted to enforce Article 17 of the Constitution of India, which abolished the practice of untouchability. 
    • The SCs and the STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989: It was enacted to safeguard the members of SCs and STs from caste-based discrimination and violence.