Parents get 'no caste, no religion' certificate to put daughter in school

Chennai: A couple here has secured a ‘no caste, no religion’ certificate for their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

The couple – Naresh Karthik and Gayatri – wanted admission of their daughter Vilma in kindergarten but all schools insisted on a caste and religion certificate. But, the parents said they were not willing to get the certificate as they felt that their daughter wanted to be taught love and equality in schools.

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After searching for educational institutions which do not insist on such certificates, Naresh Karthik approached various officials and met the district Collector G S Sameeran. He asked Karthik to approach the north Coimbatore Tahsildar, citing the Tamil Nadu government order of 1973 that religion and caste was not mandatory for admission of their children in schools, said a close friend of Karthik on Monday, The couple then met the Tahsildar, who asked them to give an affidavit stating that parents were aware that by getting ‘no caste, no religion’ certificate, their child would not be eligible to get any government reservation or privileges based on caste and religion.

The couple obtained the certificate and it mentions that their daughter does not belong to any caste or religion, he said.

According to Karthik, majority of the public was not aware of such a certificate, he said.