PRAYAGRAJ, Sept. 21 -- The Allahabad high court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to amend police manuals and regulations, if necessary, to prohibit disclosure of caste in investigations and public records relating to complainants, accused and witnesses. The only exception will be cases where law requires caste disclosure, such as those filed under the SC/ST Act. Quoting Dr BR Ambedkar, the court noted that "castes are anti-national because they generate jealousy and antipathy between caste and caste," stressing that pride must lie "not in caste but in character, and not in legacy but in equality and fraternity." Justice Vinod Diwakar, in his order dated September 16, observed that such caste glorification is "anti-national" and that reverence for the Constitution, rather than for lineage, is the "highest form of patriotism and the truest expression of national service." "In a caste-ridden society where deep-rooted social divisions continue to shape both public perception and law enforcement practices, it becomes both necessary and appropriate to re-examine the practice of recording caste and religion in police reports and public documents," Justice Diwakar observed while dismissing a petition filed by one Praveen Chetri. "If India has to become a truly developed nation by 2047, it is imperative that we eradicate the deeply entrenched caste system from our society. This goal demands sustained, multi-level efforts from all levels of government -- through progressive policies, robust anti-discrimination laws, and transformative social programs," the court said, as it took note of the absence of a comprehensive law aimed at dismantling the caste system itself and its pervasive social influence. The court came down heavily on the practice of recording caste in FIRs, recovery memos, and investigation documents, as it called such identity profiling to be violative of constitutional morality. The court made these observations while dealing with a Section 482 (inherent powers of high court) of the CrPC petition, where the FIR and seizure memo contained caste details of the accused. Taking strong exception, the court warned, "Writing or declaring the caste of an accused -- without legal relevance -- amounts to identity profiling, not objective investigation. It reinforces prejudice, corrupts public opinion, contaminates judicial thinking, violates fundamental rights, and undermines constitutional morality." The DGP had earlier defended the practice as a way to avoid identity confusion and cited government formats. The court rejected this justification, terming it "unfortunate" that police in the 21st century still relied on caste as a marker of identity....