Tale behind the change of a government department’s name in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Minister for Social Justice Vanni Arasu | Photo Credit: J. Johan Sathyadas The recent change, carried out by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led government, in the nomenclature of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department as the Social Justice Department in Tamil Nadu has a fairly long history.Veteran civil servant Vishwanath A. Shegaonkar, who was Secretary of the Adi-Dravidar and Tribal Welfare department in the later part of the DMK regime of 2006-11, had told this correspondent then that the proposal to change the name of the department was the only file of his department which had eluded a solution from the Cabinet. Published - July 15, 2026 06:30 am IST