Hyderabad: In a significant move aimed at social justice and equitable representation, the Telangana Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Bill, 2025. The bill paves the way for the categorization of Scheduled Castes (SCs) to ensure fairer distribution of reservations in education and employment.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, while presenting the bill, highlighted the government’s commitment to addressing long-pending demands for SC categorization. He stated that a cabinet sub-committee was formed after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the measure last year. A one-man judicial commission was subsequently appointed to study and recommend the implementation framework, and its report was duly accepted by the government.
The Assembly also passed two other key bills—the Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025, and the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and Appointments in State Services) Bill, 2025—through a voice vote following a brief discussion.
The passage of the SC Rationalisation Bill marks a historic achievement, as it categorizes Dalits into three groups for targeted reservations in education and employment. “This is a moment of justice long overdue since Independence,” said Chief Minister Reddy. “We are now resolving to ensure 42% reservations for this group in all walks of life—education, jobs, and political representation.”
Telangana’s existing reservation framework allocates 29% for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in education and employment, and 23% in local bodies. Scheduled Castes currently have a 15% quota, Scheduled Tribes 6%, and Economically Weaker Sections 10%. If implemented, the new legislation would raise the overall reservation level in the state to 63%, surpassing the 50% cap set by the Supreme Court. However, states like Tamil Nadu have already exceeded this limit with constitutional amendments.
The decision follows the findings of Telangana’s recent caste survey, presented in the Assembly on February 4, making the state the second in India—after Bihar—to declare caste survey results. The survey revealed that OBCs constitute 56.33% of the population, followed by SCs at 17.43% and STs at 10.45%. Other castes make up 15.79% of the population, while Muslims account for 12.56%, including 10.08% OBC Muslims.
Chief Minister Reddy urged opposition parties to unite in seeking constitutional amendments from the Central government to implement the 42% OBC quota. Telangana Backward Classes Commission Chairman G. Niranjan stressed that such a move would require adding the provision to the Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, similar to Tamil Nadu’s 2006 amendment.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had earlier pledged to increase OBC reservations to 42%, prompting Telangana’s government to conduct the caste survey. “The previous administration proposed a 37% OBC quota in local bodies, but we are now revising that to 42% for education, employment, and political opportunities,” said Reddy, calling for collective legal action to ensure implementation.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) lawmaker Gangula Kamalakar referenced the Supreme Court’s 1992 judgment capping caste-based reservations at 50% and emphasized the need for a scientifically conducted survey to justify the hike. He also proposed amendments to include a 42% quota for OBCs in state government contracts and the creation of an OBC sub-plan.
Meanwhile, AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi supported the bill and demanded that 8% of OBC reservations be allocated to backward Muslim groups under the BC-E category.
The move to sub-categorize SCs follows a landmark Supreme Court verdict that allows states to create subclassifications within SC and ST communities based on empirical data. This ruling overturned the 2004 EV Chinnaiah case, which had previously deemed such subclassifications unconstitutional.
The Telangana bill proposes dividing SCs into three groups:
- Group I: 15 sub-castes (most disadvantaged, 1% reservation)
- Group II: 18 sub-castes (moderately benefited, 9% reservation)
- Group III: 26 sub-castes (relatively better-off, 5% reservation)
If successfully implemented, Telangana will become the second state after Haryana to introduce SC sub-categorization following the Supreme Court’s ruling.
With political consensus and judicial backing, Telangana’s latest legislative move is poised to create a more equitable reservation system, setting a precedent for other states seeking similar reforms.
