Hyderabad: In a landmark move that could reshape the contours of reservation policy in India, the Telangana government on Monday issued a government order officially implementing sub-categorisation within the Scheduled Castes (SC) for job and education quotas — a first in the country. Announcing the development, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy declared that the order marks a turning point in affirmative action for historically disadvantaged communities.
The timing of the move is symbolic. The official notification, which reads, “The following Act of the Telangana Legislature received the assent of the Governor of Telangana on 8 April 2025 and the said assent is hereby first published on the 14th April 2025 in the Telangana Gazette for general information,” coincides with the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian Constitution and a towering figure in the Dalit rights movement.
The state government had previously appointed a commission under the leadership of retired High Court judge Justice Shameem Akther to examine the feasibility and framework of SC categorisation. Acting on the panel’s recommendations, Telangana has now divided the 59 recognised SC communities into three sub-groups — I, II, and III — each allocated a share of the total 15 per cent SC quota in public employment and education.
As per the new structure, Group-I, which comprises 15 of the most socially, economically, and educationally backward communities, will receive 1 per cent reservation. Group-II, consisting of 18 moderately advanced communities, will be allotted 9 per cent, while Group-III, covering 26 relatively better-off SC groups, will get the remaining 5 per cent.
Speaking at a press briefing, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who also chaired the cabinet subcommittee on the matter, revealed, “From this moment, SC categorisation is in effect in Telangana in both employment and education. We’ve issued the GO and presented the first copy to the Chief Minister.”
The minister didn’t shy away from taking aim at earlier governments that, he said, stopped short of implementing real change. “Telangana is now leading the way in implementing SC categorisation, setting an example for the rest of the country,” he remarked.
Reddy also clarified that the new reservation matrix will apply to all upcoming government recruitment drives in the state, ensuring that the benefits of affirmative action are more equitably distributed among SC groups. “This process was not done in haste. The subcommittee consulted a wide range of stakeholders, and the policy is grounded in data and community feedback,” he said.
