Shimla, August 28: The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhu, announced on August 27 that the caste column will be removed from school admission forms starting from the academic session 2027-28. This initiative aims to eliminate caste-based discrimination in government schools.
During a meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste Welfare Board (HPSCWB), CM Sukhu emphasized the importance of this change. He stated that while the caste column will be removed from admission forms, students from Scheduled Castes (SC) will still need to provide caste information to benefit from government schemes.
The removal of the caste column is intended to reduce caste discrimination among children and eliminate any feelings of inferiority based on caste. From the new session, SC members will continue to provide their caste details to ensure they can access government benefits without any issues.
Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar mentioned that the department will soon develop a formal policy and process to implement this change. He assured that the benefits of government schemes aimed at uplifting backward classes will remain accessible to all eligible children, and this aspect will be considered while formulating the policy.
This decision may necessitate changes in the admission process and school records. It will also ensure that any legally or administratively required caste-related information is available when needed for welfare schemes.
The Himachal Pradesh government has launched several initiatives for the welfare of the Scheduled Caste community, including providing loans of up to ₹20 lakh at a 1% interest rate for higher education and subsidies under the Rajiv Gandhi Startup Scheme.