Telangana Becomes the First Indian State to Implement Sub-Categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs).

In April 2025, the Government of Telangana officially implemented the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act, 2025 through a gazette notification, making Telangana the first state in India to implement sub-categorization of Scheduled Castes (SCs)—also known as “reservation within reservation.” This initiative involves classifying 59 SC sub-castes into three groups to ensure more equitable reservations in education and employment.

      - The Telangana Government’s decision was driven by empirical data, which considered the social, economic, educational, employment, and political status of the SC communities, aiming to promote fairness and inclusivity within the reservation system.

      - On August 1, 2024, a 7-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India (SCI) upheld the constitutional validity of sub-classifying Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to ensure the equitable distribution of reservation benefits. This landmark ruling provided the legal foundation for states to introduce sub-categorization within the existing reservation framework.

      - Following this, on March 18, 2025, the Telangana Legislative Assembly passed the SC Sub-Categorization Bill, in alignment with the Supreme Court’s judgment. The bill, titled The Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Act, 2025, received the Governor’s assent on April 8, 2025, and was officially published in the Telangana Gazette on April 14, 2025.

Main Point :-   (i) Out of the 59 Scheduled Caste (SC) sub-castes in Telangana, 15 have been identified as the "most backward," representing just 0.5% of the state’s SC population. These communities have been allocated 1% reservation, which is double their population share, to improve their access to education and employment opportunities.

      (ii) A total of 18 SC sub-castes that were receiving marginal benefits under the previous system have been categorized under Group-II. These sub-castes have now been allocated 9% reservation, aiming to enhance their representation and support in both education and public sector jobs.

(iii) The remaining 26 SC sub-castes, considered to have relatively better access to social and economic opportunities, fall under Group-III and have been granted 5% reservation. Notably, out of the 59 total sub-castes, 33 continue in their earlier classification, and only 26 sub-castes, accounting for 3.43% of the SC population, have been reclassified under this new system.
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