Rajasthan rolls back campaign to rename school students: Report
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The Rajasthan government on Friday rolled back a campaign to give school students “more meaningful” names after it faced opposition from parents and social activists, The Hindu reported.
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The campaign, titled “Sarthak Naam Abhiyan”, was launched by the state education department on April 13 with the objective of suggesting meaningful names for students whose names had “embarrassing” or derogatory connotations.
Such names could lead to low self-esteem among students, the education department said.
It released a list of of 2,950 alternative names for boys and girls to be shared with parents, The Times of India reported.
However, several names on the list were repetitive and incorrect. It also contained entries such as Bhiksha (alms), Bhayankar (terrifying), Kalyugi (age of darkness), Lajja (shame) and Makkhi (fly).
The move led to a controversy, with parents, teachers and experts describing it as an “interference” with personal matters, The Hindu reported. Critics also noted that that the campaign could demean certain identities instead of empowering the students.
Noting inconsistencies, gender mix-ups, incorrect classifications and the duplication of names with minor variations, experts criticised the order as an attempt to “impose a cultural framework” on Dalit, trial and other backward communities, according to the newspaper.
Sanyukt Abhibhavak Sangh, an association for parents, also said that the campaign was a way of diverting attention from pressing issues, The Times of India reported.
“The state is grappling with increasing...