The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday directed the State to file a report on a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to prohibit private educational institutions and private employers in Tamil Nadu from mandatorily collecting caste or community details in application forms unless specifically required under statutory provisions.A Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and M. Jothiraman was hearing the petition filed by N. Vikraman of Virudhunagar. The petitioner said several private educational institutions and establishments were mandatorily collecting caste and community details in application forms for admission and employment, even though there was no statutory requirement for such disclosure.He said such compulsory collection of caste information at the initial stage facilitated discrimination in selection and admission processes. Compelling disclosure of caste details without statutory backing violated the right to equality, non-discrimination and informational privacy.He also sought a direction to the authorities to frame appropriate regulatory measures for ensuring anti-discrimination safeguards in private institutions. The court posted the matter for hearing to July 21. Published - June 19, 2026 11:03 pm IST