No caste information in proposed student ID cards: TN Minister

Chennai, June 27 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan on Saturday clarified that the state government’s proposed identity cards for students of Classes X and XII would not carry caste details, firmly rejecting reports to the contrary.

He said the initiative was intended solely to simplify student records and improve access to essential information, while ensuring that schools remained free from caste-based distinctions.

Speaking to reporters after distributing welfare assistance at a function in Gobichettipalayam to mark Chief Minister C. On Joseph Vijay’s birthday, Sengottaiyan said the Revenue and Disaster Management Department and the School Education Department were jointly examining the feasibility of introducing a comprehensive data-based identity card for students.

The Minister said the Revenue Department had, for the past five years, been issuing income, nativity and community certificates directly to students through schools, eliminating the need for them to visit Revenue Department offices, Village Administrative Officers or Revenue Inspectors. The proposed identity card, he said, was the next step in streamlining student records.

According to Sengottaiyan, the card would contain only essential details such as the student’s address, blood group, Aadhaar particulars and educational qualifications. He stressed that no caste-related information would be included under any circumstances.

He said displaying caste on school identity cards could create discrimination or cause emotional distress among students. He added that schools should remain places where children learn without distinctions based on caste or religion, and that the government’s proposal was guided solely by students’ welfare.

The Minister also highlighted the practical value of the cards during emergencies. He said information such as blood group, address and Aadhaar particulars would help authorities quickly identify students, contact their families and provide immediate medical assistance in the event of accidents or other unforeseen situations.

He said officials from the Revenue and School Education departments would soon finalise the modalities for implementing the scheme for students in Classes X and XII.

Responding to questions on recurring drowning incidents at the Kodiveri dam, Sengottaiyan said the Public Works Department had already prohibited non-swimmers from entering the reservoir area. He added that visitors could bathe in the waterfalls downstream, but swimming in the storage area above the sluices remained banned. Members of the local fishermen’s association had also been stationed there to enhance safety.

On the appointment of Karnataka-native film producer Venkataraman as the Tamil Nadu government’s Special Representative in New Delhi, the Minister described it as a policy decision. He said all government-appointed representatives were committed to safeguarding Tamil Nadu’s interests, including raising issues such as the Mekedatu project and other inter-state river water disputes before the Union government.

–IANS

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