Tamil Nadu hostels for underprivileged students to be renamed ‘Social Justice Hostels’, says CM M K Stalin

CHENNAI: In a move aimed at reinforcing the principles of equality and inclusion, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday announced that all school and college hostels in Tamil Nadu for underprivileged students will henceforth be known as ‘Social Justice Hostels’. These hostels, run by various state departments for students from backward and marginalised communities, will retain all existing facilities and benefits but will shed names that carry caste or religious identifiers.Currently, a total of 2,739 hostels function across the state, housing 1,79,568 students. These include 1,332 hostels under the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, accommodating 98,909 students; 727 hostels for Backward Classes with 41,194 students; 455 Most Backward Classes hostels with 26,653 students; 157 hostels for Denotified Communities with 9,372 students; and 20 hostels under Minority Welfare with 1,250 students.

Additionally, 48 hostels cater to 2,190 students from tribal communities.Stalin said that over the past four years, the govt made significant investments in upgrading infrastructure, enhancing food quality, and introducing skill development programmes in these hostels. While some hostels are named after leaders, their names will be retained with the suffix ‘Social Justice Hostel’.The renaming is part of a broader effort by the Dravidian model govt to eliminate caste markers in public life.

Referring to a recent Assembly speech, Stalin said that the term ‘colony’, often associated with caste-based segregation, will be removed from all govt records. He also reiterated his request to the Prime Minister to amend SC/ST community names ending with ‘N’ and ‘A’ and replace them with ‘R’, to restore dignity.Stalin added that a govt order issued on June 25 by the school education department laid out guidelines to curb caste-based violence and promote harmony among students. A panel led by retired judge K Chandru also recommended removing caste prefixes and suffixes from school names, a suggestion the govt has since accepted.“These reforms are not merely symbolic,” Stalin said. “They are part of our mission to build a future Tamil society rooted in equality, unity, and social justice.”