JAIPUR: In a significant U-turn, the Rajasthan Education Department has temporarily suspended the “Meaningful Names” campaign it began last week, after the AI-generated list drew huge criticism.
The 'Sarthak Naam Abhiyan' was launched to replace bizarre or embarrassing names of school-going students with names considered meaningful and dignified.
The programme, which had been widely publicised, was announced just days ago by Madan Dilawar, who said the scheme aimed to “change meaningless names that cast a negative impact on a child's personality”. The idea was to provide such students with a better and more dignified identity.
Last week, the department issued an order and released a list of 2,950 suggested names for students from Classes 1 to 9, including 1,409 boys’ names and 1,541 girls’ names. Officials said the names were culturally rooted and aligned with Rajasthani traditions. The list was prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
However, the list quickly triggered controversy. Suggested names for boys included Devdas, Makhan, Zalim, Ahankar, Ahit, Avishkar, Avkash, Becharadas and even place-based names such as Bikaner.
The girls’ list drew similar criticism, with names like Bhayankar, Bhiksha, Makkhi, Ardhangini, Manoranjani, Kara and Bahumukhi, many of which critics said carried inappropriate or impractical meanings for children.
The AI-generated list prompted protests from several parents’ associations soon after it was released. They objected to what they called offensive names and also pointed out errors in gender classification, with some boys’ names listed for girls and vice versa.
Parents’ groups argued that a sensitive issue like changing children’s names could not be left solely to artificial intelligence without proper human scrutiny and social sensitivity.
Critics also pointed to spelling mistakes in common Hindi words in the list, causing embarrassment for the department.
Some political opponents and social analysts linked the initiative to a broader cultural push, arguing that naming a child is a personal decision rooted in family traditions, beliefs and community practices. Concerns were also raised that several suggested names reflected upper-caste preferences and might not resonate with Dalit and tribal communities. Many critics saw an attempt to saffronise education as an unstated aim of the initiative.
As the controversy grew, the Rajasthan Education Department found itself on the defensive and decided to suspend the campaign.
Following the uproar, Rajesh Yadav confirmed that the order has been put on hold. He said any decision regarding name changes would rest entirely with parents and guardians, with no pressure from the department. The Education Minister’s office also said the campaign has been suspended for the time being.