Hyderabad- The Telangana government has approved a landmark recommendation to sub-classify Scheduled Castes (SCs) into three distinct groups for more equitable distribution of the existing 15 percent reservation. The proposal, put forth by a one-member Judicial Commission led by retired High Court judge Justice Shameem Akhtar, was presented to the State Assembly by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy during a special session on February 4.

Under the new classification system, 59 SC communities will be reorganized with Group I (comprising 15 most backward communities) receiving 1 percent reservation, Group II (18 moderately benefited communities) getting 9 percent, and Group III (26 relatively advanced communities) allocated 5 percent.

The classification notably places the Madiga community, which represents nearly 62 percent of the SC population and has been at the forefront of the sub-categorization movement, in Group II. Meanwhile, the Mala community, accounting for approximately 29 percent of the SC population, has been placed in Group III. This reorganization follows decades of advocacy for more nuanced distribution of reservations within the SC category.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who had previously faced expulsion from the Assembly for advocating for SC sub-categorization, described the decision as a historic moment in his political career.

The implementation process began in September 2024 when a Cabinet Sub-Committee was formed under Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, following a Supreme Court judgment on August 1. The Commission's recommendations were first submitted to the Cabinet Sub-Committee before receiving cabinet approval and being presented to the Assembly, making Telangana the first state to implement such a classification system.