Telangana has become the first state in India to implement the sub-categorization of Scheduled Castes (SC) following approval from the Supreme Court. This significant step was marked by the Telangana government’s official order on April 14, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a pivotal figure in the Indian Constitution’s formation. The legislative process began with the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalization of Reservations) Act 2025 being passed by the Telangana Assembly on March 18 and receiving gubernatorial assent on April 8.
Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha underscored the categorization’s intent: to tackle social backwardness and extend preferential treatment to marginalized SC communities. He asserted that while this categorization is not a panacea, it serves as a mechanism to uplift disadvantaged SC groups. The categorization’s benefits are directed at approximately 178,914 individuals from 24 SC communities, a mere 3.43% of Telangana’s total SC population.
The categorization divides SCs into three distinct groups based on their socio-economic and educational disadvantages:
1.First Group: Encompassing 15 backward SC communities with 171,625 members, this group is allotted a 1% reservation.
2. Second Group: Comprising 18 communities with approximately 34 lakh individuals, they are designated a 9% reservation.
3. Third Group: This consists of 26 communities, totaling about 17 lakh individuals, receiving a 5% reservation.
During discussions about the Bill, Minister Narasimha referenced the Supreme Court’s advice to prioritize the most disadvantaged sections, including how the initial 0.5% reservation proposed for the first group was increased due to their significant backwardness. He cited recommendations from various committees, such as the Lokur Committee (1965) and Justice Ramachandra Raju Commission (1998), as well as a Supreme Court ruling from August 1, 2024, underscoring the necessity of such categorization in Telangana.
In a proactive move, the Telangana government enacted the SC categorization legislation within a short six-month timeframe post-Supreme Court judgment. This effort involved establishing a cabinet sub-committee and appointing retired Justice Shameem Akhter to oversee a commission addressing this critical issue.
The SC Categorization Act is designed to reorganize the existing 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes by classifying 59 sub-castes into three groups based on varying levels of backwardness. This framework aims to promote the upliftment and provide equal opportunities to the most marginalized communities within the SC population. For instance, Group 1, which consists of its 15 communities, represents 3.288% of the SC demographic and receives a 1% reservation. This reform is seen as a landmark step toward ensuring that socially and economically disadvantaged SC communities receive the support necessary to overcome historical inequities and build a better future.
Group 2 consists of 18 moderately benefited communities that make up 62.74 percent of the Scheduled Caste (SC) population and has been assigned a 9 percent reservation. Group 3 includes 26 relatively better-off communities, representing 33.963 percent of the SC population, which is granted a 5 percent reservation. In light of a significant Supreme Court ruling on August 1, 2024, the Shamim Akhtar Commission was formed to examine socio-economic indicators across various SC sub-castes.
The Commission received a substantial number of over 8,600 representations and conducted a thorough evaluation of several metrics including population distribution, literacy rates, higher education access, employment trends, financial assistance, and political involvement. Initially, a report was drafted, but the Commission’s tenure was extended by a month to address additional discussions and concerns raised by community members, ensuring comprehensive representation before finalizing the report.
In the midst of political discussions regarding caste reclassification, Narasimha brought attention to the Budiga Janga caste. Despite a population of 111,000, this caste was categorized in the first group due to low educational attainment and marginalization. Narasimha argued that a simplistic binary classification could create disparities, while findings from the Commission indicated that having four distinct groups would be excessive.
CPI MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Reddy expressed concerns about the reclassification of the Rella community, which was moved from Category A to the third group. He pointed out the community’s traditional role in sanitation, urging the government to reconsider its new categorization. On the other hand, AIMIM MLA Majid Hussain advocated for raising the SC reservation to 18 percent and proposed the establishment of four categories rather than three.
During a final meeting led by Telangana’s civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on April 1, guidelines for implementing the recommendations of the Justice Shamim Akhtar Commission were outlined, culminating in the approval of a government order (GO). The cabinet sub-committee decided against incorporating a creamy layer within the SC category, affirming the government’s commitment to equitable distribution of benefits. Minister Reddy assured that no specific subgroup would face exclusion based on economic status, emphasizing that existing benefits would remain unaffected.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the current 15 percent reservation for SCs is based on 2011 Census data, while the SC population in Telangana has increased to approximately 17.5 percent. Reddy indicated that an evaluation for increasing overall reservation levels would be conducted once data from the 2026 Census becomes available, highlighting a proactive approach to adapting reservation policies in response to changing demographics and socio-economic conditions.