Telangana makes history as first state to implement scheduled caste categorisation
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In a landmark move, Telangana has officially become the first state in India to implement the categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs), following recent Supreme Court verdicts supporting the move.
The government order (GO), published on April 14, 2025 — coinciding with the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar — marks the beginning of a new era in the state’s approach to social justice and affirmative action.
The announcement was made by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy during a press conference on Monday. He stated that the GO was handed over to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy earlier that day, signifying the immediate rollout of the new policy. “From this moment, SC categorisation will be in effect in Telangana for employment and education,” Reddy affirmed.
The Telangana government had set up a commission led by retired High Court judge Justice Shameem Akther to study and recommend a method for sub-categorising the state's 59 SC communities. Based on the findings, the SC communities have now been divided into three distinct groups to equitably distribute the total 15% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.
- Group I includes 15 of the most socially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged communities, who will receive 1% reservation.
- Group II, comprising 18 moderately uplifted communities, is allocated 9% of the quota.
- Group III, which includes 26 relatively well-off SC communities, will receive 5% reservation.
Minister Reddy, who also led a cabinet sub-committee on the matter, emphasised that the implementation comes after extensive consultations with various stakeholders. He pointed out that earlier state governments had passed resolutions on SC categorisation but failed to take any concrete steps.
He also clarified that all future government job openings in Telangana will follow this new categorised reservation structure. Additionally, he noted that if the SC population increases as per the 2026 Census, the reservation percentages may be revised accordingly.
The Telangana Legislature had already approved the recommendations of Justice Akther earlier this year, while also dismissing suggestions to exclude the "creamy layer" from reservation benefits. The Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Bill, 2025, was passed last month, paving the way for the GO that was issued this week.