Stalin renames govt hostels as 'social justice' for harmony among students

State-run hostels, including those under Adi Dravidar, Tribal, Backward Classes, and Minority Welfare departments, will now be renamed as 'Social Justice Hostels', the Tamil Nadu government announced

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday announced that all state-run hostels for underprivileged school and college students will now be referred to as “social justice hostels”.

 

He said the change aligns with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government’s core principles. “There won’t be any sort of discrimination, including gender or caste, under the DMK rule,” he said, adding that the decision is driven by the principle of social justice and inclusion, as quoted by PTI. 

“These reforms are not merely symbolic. They are part of our mission to build a future Tamil society rooted in equality, unity, and social justice,” Stalin said, as quoted by The Times of India.

 

 

Hostels managed by various departments across the state — including the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department and the Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Department — will adopt the new name. As of now, there are 2,739 government hostels in Tamil Nadu, housing nearly 1.8 lakh students. 

 

The Chief Minister also referred to a decision earlier this year to remove the word “colony” from government records, as it is often associated with caste-based discrimination. “Since it has become a symbol of dominance, a symbol of untouchability and a slang word, steps will be taken to remove this word from government documents and public domain,” Stalin said.

 

Reiterating a previous appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Stalin urged the Centre to consider amending certain SC/ST community names that end with ‘N’ or ‘A’ to ‘R’, stating that such a change would help restore dignity, reported PTI.

 

He also said that a government order was issued on June 25 by the School Education Department, outlining measures to reduce caste and communal tensions in schools and foster a spirit of harmony among students. 

The Chief Minister also highlighted the work of a commission led by retired Justice K Chandru, which was set up to study caste-based conflict in educational institutions. Among its key recommendations was the removal of caste-based prefixes and suffixes from school names — a suggestion that the state government has accepted, the report mentioned.

 

“These reforms are not merely symbolic. They are part of our mission to build a future Tamil society rooted in equality, unity, and social justice.”