Haryana Govt Directs Discontinuation Of Usage Of Terms ‘Harijan’, ‘Girijan’ In Official Communications

Haryana Govt Directs Discontinuation Of Usage Of Terms ‘Harijan’, ‘Girijan’ In Official Communications

A letter issued by the Chief Secretary's Office referred to the instructions of the Government of India (GoI) which clearly mandate the discontinuation of these expressions in official dealings.

Rajesh MoudgilUpdated: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 11:17 PM IST
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Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini |

Chandigarh: The Haryana government on Tuesday issued directions to all its departments, public and educational institutes and others to strictly avoid using the terms 'Harijan' and 'Girijan' in official communications in respect of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) respectively.

A letter issued by the Chief Secretary's Office referred to the instructions of the Government of India (GoI) which clearly mandate the discontinuation of these expressions in official dealings.

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The letter said that the matter was reviewed by the state government, during which it came to notice that certain departments had not been strictly adhering to the said instructions. Consequently, all departments and authorities have been directed to ensure full compliance with the Central government’s guidelines and to discontinue the usage of the terms ‘Harijan’ and ‘Girijan’ in all official records, correspondence, and communications.