Telangana has only become the first Indian state to implement the Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Act, 2025 which introduces sub-categorisation into the SC reservation quota. Through this legal framework, Telangana wants to achieve fair representation for its 59 Scheduled Caste communities.
The state government released a gazette on Monday to implement the Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Act 2025 during Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary year. The Cabinet sub-committee delivered the first notification copy to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy who designated this move as a “historic tribute” to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision for equality.
SC Quota Split into Three Groups Based on Socio-Economic Disparities
The categorisation, based on recommendations from a commission led by retired High Court judge Justice Shameem Akther, divides the SC reservation of 15% into three groups. Group-I, identified as the most socially and economically marginalised, will receive 1% of the total quota. Group-II, consisting of moderately benefited communities, is allotted 9%, while the remaining 5% goes to Group-III, which includes relatively better-placed sub-castes.
The process of recruitment and admissions in Telangana will follow this new standard framework according to Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy who led the sub-committee. Future posts will stay unaffected though new recruitment announcements will step in line with this framework.
26 SC Sub-Castes Reclassified After Field Study
Of the 59 sub-castes, 33 have remained in the same category as before, while 26 have been reassigned following detailed analysis of their educational, economic, and social status. The reclassification is based on field data and extensive consultation with stakeholders.
The Supreme Court, in a judgment delivered in August 2024, had upheld the legality of SC and ST sub-categorisation, paving the way for states to act. Telangana is now the first to translate that ruling into action.
The government has also indicated that the reservation distribution could be revised post the 2026 census, depending on shifts in the SC population. Leaders have encouraged SC youth to make full use of this new opportunity.
