Don't use 'Dalit, say 'Scheduled Caste' instead: I&B Ministry to private TV channels

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New Delhi: The Centre wants all private television channels to stop using the term 'Dalit'.

In a letter to all private satellite TV channels, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory, urging people to refrain using the nomenclature 'Dalit' for people belonging to Scheduled Castes.

"It is accordingly advised that media may refrain from using the nomenclature 'Dalit' while referring to members belonging to Scheduled Castes in compliance with the directions of the Hon'ble Bombay High Court and the Constitutional term 'Scheduled Caste' in English, and its appropriate translation in other national languages should alone be used for all official transactions, matters, dealings, certificates, etc. For denoting the persons belonging to Scheduled Castes," said the ministry led by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

The advisory, dated August 7, is based on June order by the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court that directed the Union government “to consider the question of issuing such direction to the media and take suitable decision upon it within next six weeks.”

The advisory had also cited a Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment circular of March 15, advising the central and state governments to use the term 'Scheduled Caste'.

The advisory has raised quite a few eyebrows, with many Dalit groups objecting to it. 

With agency inputs