Did you know that it isn’t mandatory to declare your caste in an application form? That’s right, your fundamental rights protect you and so you aren’t liable to disclose information which you don’t want to. I, for one, wasn’t aware of this but turns out the students in Kerala were! Because 1.24 Lakh students enrolled in schools across Kerala without filling in the caste or religion column, proving that secularism exists once again.
During the Assembly Session, DK Murali, a legislator of the Communist Party of India from Vamanapuram, asked the State government about the same. And the State Education Minister C Raveendranath said that 1,23,630 students from Class I-X had left the column blank and the numbers from Class XI and XII were 278 and 239 respectively.
With a 93.91% literacy rate, Kerala has once again set a fine example for the country to follow. The state has even recorded a large number of children who choose to pick their own religion once they grow up, with parents giving them the freedom to make these decisions.
India might have a long way to go, but Kerala is definitely getting there faster than the other states.
POPxo is getting a makeover and we could not be more excited – a brand new look, fun features and a big surprise!! Check us out on April 2 🙂