Himachal Pradesh to remove caste column from school admission forms

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has ordered the removal of the caste column from school admission forms starting from the next academic session. The decision, announced during a meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste Welfare Board in Shimla, aims to eliminate caste-based discrimination and foster equality and fraternity among students.

While the column will be removed from general admission forms to prevent students from feeling a sense of inferiority, caste details will still be required when members of the Scheduled Caste community apply for specific government schemes and benefits. The government clarified that this change will not hinder the identification of eligible beneficiaries for welfare programs.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted several ongoing welfare initiatives, including the Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Swarozgar Saur Yojana, which provides subsidies for solar projects, and educational loans of up to Rs 20 lakh at a one per cent interest rate for meritorious students. Additionally, the state plans to implement the Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana, offering 300 units of free electricity and monthly pensions for women from extremely poor families.