‘Tell Your Dream’ Form Sparks Caste Debate

The Tamil Nadu government has launched a new initiative called ‘Unga Kanava Solluga’ (Tell Your Dream) to assess how well welfare schemes are reaching beneficiaries. However, the four-page form for the program also asks for caste information, which could spark political debate.

The scheme was launched by Chief Minister MK Stalin at Ponneri on Friday. The form collects detailed information about households, including:

Ration card number

District and taluk

Name of the head of the family

Residential address

Mobile number

Caste category (SC, ST, MBC, DNC, BC, OC)

Applicants must also provide details about family members, including their name, age, gender, education, and occupation. The form asks whether the family has benefited from any government schemes, and if so, they must specify the schemes.

Officials say the data will help evaluate the impact of welfare programs and improve future planning. Critics, however, have raised concerns that asking for caste details may lead to political controversies or debates.

The initiative aims to understand citizens’ needs better, but its requirement for caste information is likely to draw attention in the political arena.