Telangana Becomes First Indian State to Implement SC Sub-Categorisation
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Telangana becomes the first state in India to implement SC sub-categorisation. |
| Date of Implementation | April 14, 2025 (coinciding with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's birth anniversary). |
| Legislation | Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalization of Reservations) Act, 2025. |
| Supreme Court Approval | August 1, 2024 judgment permitted SC sub-categorisation. |
| Commission | Justice Shamim Akhtar led the one-man commission appointed in October 2024. |
| Legislative Process | Act passed by Telangana Assembly on March 18, 2025; received Governor's assent on April 8, 2025. |
| Total SC Reservation | 15% (based on 2011 Census). |
| Sub-Categorisation Structure | SCs divided into 3 groups based on social and educational backwardness. |
| Group 1 | - Communities: 15 (most disadvantaged) <br> - Population Share: 3.288% (~1.71 lakh) <br> - Reservation Allocation: 1%. |
| Group 2 | - Communities: 18 (moderately backward) <br> - Population Share: 62.74% (~34 lakh) <br> - Reservation Allocation: 9%. |
| Group 3 | - Communities: 26 (relatively better-off) <br> - Population Share: 33.963% (~17 lakh) <br> - Reservation Allocation: 5%. |
| Basis for Categorisation | Population size, literacy rates, employment, education access, financial assistance, and political participation. |
| Public Consultation | Shamim Akhtar Commission received over 8,600 representations from communities. |
| Political Responses | - CPI MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Reddy: Questioned downgrading of Rella community to Group 3. <br> - AIMIM MLA Majid Hussain: Suggested increasing SC reservation to 18% and creating 4 categories. |
| Government Justification | Maintained 3 groups as optimal--2 would cause imbalance, 4 would be excessive. |
| Future Consideration | Telangana's SC population now stands at 17.5%, so reservations may be increased after 2026 Census. |