“The Odisha Government has asked all its Departments, public and educational institutes and others to stop using the term ‘Harijan’ in communications,” officials said on Wednesday (August 13, 2025.)
The government suggested the authorities concerned that words like 'scheduled caste' in English and 'anusuchita jati' in Odia or other national languages should be used to "denote persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes as notified under Article 341 of the Constitution," according to a letter issued on August 12 by the Commissioner-cum-secretary of the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Class Welfare Department.
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“The letter was sent to all the Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and Commissioner-cum-secretaries,” the officials said.
"They have been instructed to ensure that the word 'Harijan' does not appear in any official communications, records, transactions, caste certificates, publications, departmental names, or any other form of use," one of the officials said.
