Uttam Kumar: All set for implementation of SC Categorisation Act from April 14

Hyderabad: Telangana is all set to implement the SC Categorisation Act from April 14 (Monday), Irrigation and Civil Supplies minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy announced on Sunday.

Chairing the final meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on SC Categorisation at the Secretariat, Uttam Kumar Reddy confirmed that the Government Order (GO) outlining the modalities of the act will be issued on Ambedkar Jayanthi. The first copy of the GO will be handed over to chief minister A Revanth Reddy.

With the act coming into force on April 14, Telangana becomes the first State in the country to implement SC sub-categorisation after the Supreme Court’s green signal.

Breakdown of SC sub-categorisation

The sub-committee meeting was attended by the vice chairman and minister Damodar Raja Narasimha and other ministers. The committee thoroughly reviewed the implementation guidelines based on the recommendations of the Justice Shamim Akhtar Commission and gave its final approval for issuing the GO.

The act aims to rationalise the existing 15 per cent reservation for Scheduled Castes by categorising 59 SC sub-castes into three groups based on inter-se backwardness.

Group I comprises 15 of the most disadvantaged communities, constituting 3.288 per cent of the SC population, and is allocated 1 per cent reservation. Group II includes 18 moderately benefited communities, forming 62.74 per cent of the SC population, and is allotted 9 per cent. Group III consists of 26 relatively better-off communities, making up 33.963 per cent of the SC population, and receives 5 per cent reservation.

Analysis of socio-economic indicators

The Shamim Akhtar Commission, appointed in October 2024 following the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment on August 1, was tasked with studying socio-economic indicators across SC sub-castes.

The commission received over 8,600 representations and conducted a detailed analysis of population distribution, literacy levels, higher education admissions, employment trends, financial aid and political participation. After initial submission, its tenure was extended by a month to address concerns raised by several communities, ensuring that every voice was heard before finalising the report.

Legal backing

Capt Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress government under CM Revanth Reddy had delivered on a decades-old demand that was never fulfilled in united Andhra Pradesh or in Telangana. He pointed out that although several previous governments had passed resolutions supporting SC categorisation, none had implemented it with legal backing. He recalled witnessing every Assembly session since 1999 where the issue was discussed but not resolved, adding that it was the Congress government that had shown the political will to act.

He credited the Congress party’s commitment to social justice and said the decision to implement SC categorisation was backed by strong leadership at the national level, with Rahul Gandhi reiterating support for the cause during his election campaign. The Act was unanimously passed by the Telangana Legislative Assembly on March 18 and subsequently approved by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma.

No creamy layer

The Cabinet Sub-Committee also rejected the commission’s recommendation to introduce a creamy layer within the SC category.

Uttam Kumar Reddy clarified that the government was committed to ensuring equitable benefits without excluding any sub-group based on economic criteria. He assured that no existing benefits would be diluted and that the categorisation was designed to enhance fairness while protecting the rights of all SC groups.

He also noted that the current 15 per cent reservation for SCs is based on the 2011 Census, whereas the SC population in Telangana has since grown to approximately 17.5 per cent. He said the Congress government would consider increasing the total reservation once data from the 2026 Census becomes available.