In a first in the country, Telangana on Monday issued a government order on the implementation of Schedule Castes (SC) categorisation, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy announced. The state government had previously appointed a commission led by retired High Court judge Justice Shameem Akther on SC categorisation, which made recommendations that the 59 Scheduled Caste (SC) communities be divided into three groups such as I, II, and III for the total reservations of 15 per cent in government jobs and education.
"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," the order read.
Incidentally, the issuance of the government order on categorisation of the SC coincides with Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, the architect of the Indian constitution.
According to the commission’s report, the SC communities have been divided into three groups based on their socio-economic and educational status:
- Group I, comprising 15 socially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged communities, has been allocated a 1 per cent reservation.
- Group-II, which includes 18 moderately benefited communities, will receive a 9 per cent quota.
- Group-III, consisting of 26 relatively well-off SC communities, will be entitled to a 5 per cent reservation.
Addressing the media, Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who headed the cabinet subcommittee on SC categorisation, announced that the government order (GO) was issued earlier today and handed over to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
“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 stated.
He criticized previous governments for limiting themselves to passing resolutions on the issue without taking concrete steps. “Telangana is now leading the way in implementing SC categorisation, setting an example for the rest of the country,” he added.
The minister also confirmed that all future job recruitments in the state government will follow the newly established sub-categorisation system for SCs.
Highlighting the efforts of the subcommittee, he noted that the process involved extensive consultations with various stakeholders. He further stated that if the SC population increases in the upcoming 2026 census, the reservation percentages would be adjusted accordingly.
(With PTI inputs)