In a landmark move on the birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Telangana Congress government issued a gazette notification on Monday, formally implementing Scheduled Caste (SC) sub-categorization—also known as "reservation within reservation." With this, Telangana becomes the first state in India to introduce such a system for equitable distribution of benefits among SC communities.
The notification enforces the Scheduled Castes (Rationalization of Reservation) Act, 2025, which divides SCs into three categories—Group I, Group II, and Group III—within the existing 15% reservation quota allotted to Scheduled Castes in the state.
Group I, consisting of 15 socio-economically backward castes, will receive 1% reservation
Group II, with 18 castes, will be allocated 9% reservation
Group III, made up of 26 castes, will get 5% reservation
The act received the Governor’s assent on April 8 and was published in the Telangana Gazette on April 14.
“From this moment, SC categorisation will be implemented in Telangana in employment and education,” said Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, who oversaw the Cabinet sub-committee on the issue. He added that the categorisation could be revised based on the 2026 census data.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy hailed the decision as a historic step toward social justice, stating on X:
"Telangana is the first state in India to implement the revolutionary decision of SC sub-categorization… A great act of social justice, addressing a long-overdue demand for classification of SC sub-castes."
The move comes months after a seven-judge Constitution Bench cleared the way for sub-classification of SCs and STs to ensure more equitable access to reservations for the most marginalized castes within these groups.
While the decision is being lauded by the Madiga community, which has long demanded sub-categorization, it also faces resistance from the Mala community, another SC group that has historically opposed the idea, fearing dilution of their representation.
With this bold step, Telangana has not only addressed a decades-old demand but also potentially set a precedent for other Indian states to follow.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)