HYDERABAD: Telangana is set to become the first state in the country to implement the Scheduled Caste (SC) Categorisation Act from April 14, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy announced on Sunday.
Chairing the final meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on SC Categorisation at the Secretariat, Uttam Kumar Reddy confirmed that a Government Order (GO) outlining the modalities of the Act would be issued on Ambedkar Jayanthi. The first copy of the GO will be formally handed over to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
With the implementation of the Act, Telangana becomes the first Indian state to introduce SC sub-categorisation following approval from the Supreme Court.
The Sub-Committee meeting was attended by Vice Chairman and Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha, Ministers Seethakka and Ponnam Prabhakar, retired judge Justice Shamim Akhtar – who led the One-Man Commission, Principal Secretary for Welfare Sridhar, Law Secretary Tirupati, and other senior officials. The committee reviewed the implementation guidelines based on the Commission’s recommendations and gave final clearance for issuing the GO.
The SC Categorisation Act is aimed at rationalising the current 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes by dividing 59 SC sub-castes into three groups according to their relative backwardness. Group I includes 15 of the most marginalised communities, which form 3.288% of the SC population, and is allocated 1% reservation. Group II consists of 18 moderately benefited communities, comprising 62.74% of the SC population, and is assigned 9%. Group III includes 26 relatively better-off communities, forming 33.963% of the SC population, and is granted a 5% reservation.
The Shamim Akhtar Commission, appointed in October 2024 following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on 1 August, conducted an extensive study of socio-economic indicators across SC sub-castes. It received more than 8,600 representations and analysed data on population distribution, education, employment, financial aid, and political participation. Its tenure was later extended by a month to address concerns raised by various communities before finalising the report.
Capt Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress government under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had fulfilled a long-pending demand that had remained unaddressed in both united Andhra Pradesh and in Telangana. He noted that although several past governments had passed resolutions in support of SC categorisation, none had taken legal steps to implement it. Having witnessed every Assembly session since 1999, he said this was the first time political will had translated into action.
He credited the Congress party’s commitment to social justice and acknowledged national leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, for backing the decision during the election campaign. The Act was unanimously passed by the Telangana Legislative Assembly on 18 March and subsequently approved by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee also rejected the Commission’s recommendation to introduce a creamy layer within the SC category. Uttam Kumar Reddy clarified that the government intends to distribute benefits equitably without excluding any sub-group based on economic status. He assured that the new categorisation will enhance fairness without diluting existing entitlements.
He further noted that the current 15% reservation is based on the 2011 Census, whereas the SC population in Telangana has increased to approximately 17.5%. The government will consider expanding total reservation once the 2026 Census data is available.
Sunday’s meeting marked the culmination of an intensive, consultative, and data-driven process aimed at addressing historical imbalances and delivering long-awaited justice to the most disadvantaged among the Scheduled Castes in Telangana.
All set for implementation of SC Categorisation Act from April 14
•GO to be released on Ambedkar Jayanthi; Cabinet Sub-Committee gives final approval
•One Man Commission Justice Shamim Akhtar attends Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting pic.twitter.com/cZCDwCnvO1
— Uttam Kumar Reddy (@UttamINC) April 13, 2025
