HYDERABAD, April 14 – Telangana on Monday became the first Indian state to operationalise the categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SC) for reservations in education and employment, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling last year that upheld the constitutionality of sub-classifying SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
The state government issued a gazette notification designating April 14, 2025 as the appointed day for implementing the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act, 2025. A Cabinet sub-committee led by Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and co-chaired by Health Minister C. Damodar Rajanarsimha handed over the first copy of the notification to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy in Hyderabad on Monday.
Under the new classification, 59 SC sub-castes have been divided into three groups based on empirical data and social indicators including education, employment, and political representation. The government said the move aims to ensure equitable distribution of reservation benefits among SC communities.
Fifteen sub-castes considered most backward have been placed in Group-I with 1% reservation, despite comprising just 0.5% of the SC population. Eighteen sub-castes identified as having received marginal benefits have been grouped under Group-II with 9% reservation, while the remaining 26 sub-castes, deemed relatively better-off, have been allotted 5% reservation under Group-III.
Of the total 59 sub-castes, 33 remain in the same classification as before. Only 26 sub-castes, representing 3.43% of the SC population, have been reassigned to different groups, Rajanarsimha said.
The categorisation will apply to future recruitment in government jobs but will not affect vacancies already notified. The state government also announced its intent to revisit and possibly enhance SC reservation quotas following the 2026 national census.
