Overview
- The state education department rolled back the Sarthak Naam Abhiyan on Friday, with Education Minister Madan Dilawar saying the order was withdrawn and no action would follow.
- Launched on April 13, the drive aimed to suggest more “meaningful” names for students in Classes 1 to 9 on a voluntary basis with written consent from parents.
- The department’s list of roughly 2,950 alternatives included entries like Bhayankar (terrifying), Bhiksha (alms), Lajja (shame) and Becharadas, which many parents and experts called inappropriate.
- Independent reviews flagged repeated names, gender mix-ups, wrong classifications and heavy tilt toward Hindu names, and some critics said the plan tried to impose a cultural frame on Dalit and tribal communities.
- Officials earlier described the list as a draft and hinted at a revision, while the minister’s pullback means no student will be pressed to change a name and any future step would require written consent.