The bill allocates the existing 15 percent reservation among three sub-groups of the Scheduled Castes following recommendations from the Shameem Akhtar Commission.
Published Mar 18, 2025 | 6:46 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 18, 2025 | 6:46 PM
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy (X)
Synopsis: The Telangana Assembly passed the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Bill, 2025, marking a historic moment by sub-categorising the existing 15 percent reservation among three Scheduled Castes sub-groups. The bill, which follows recommendations from the Shameem Akhtar Commission, comes in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court ruling that confirmed the constitutionality of such sub-classification.
The Telangana Legislative Assembly passed the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Bill, 2025 on Tuesday, 18 March, realising the decades-long struggle of the state’s Madiga community.
The bill allocates the existing 15 percent reservation among three sub-groups of the Scheduled Castes (SC) following recommendations from the Shameem Akhtar Commission.
After Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar pronounced the bill passed, Medical and Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha and several Dalit Members of Legislative Assembly shook hands with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for “making what seemed to be impossible, possible.”
During the Assembly debate, the chief minister described the development as “a historic moment where a permanent solution is being provided to a decades-old issue,” recalling the long struggle for sub-categorisation that had claimed many lives.
Revanth Reddy highlighted the Congress’s longstanding commitment to the Dalit cause by citing historical precedents, including the appointment of Dalit leader Damodaram Sanjivayya as Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 1960 and the election of Mallikarjun Kharge as the current All India Congress Committee (AICC) President.
He also noted that after assuming power in Telangana, the Congress government presented its arguments in favour of Scheduled Castes sub-categorisation before a seven-judge bench in the Supreme Court.
“As soon as the Supreme Court delivered its verdict, we passed a resolution in the Legislative Assembly in favour of sub-categorisation,” he added.
The Shameem Akhtar Commission, appointed on 11 October 2024, divided 59 Scheduled Castes communities into three sub-groups and allocated the 15 percent reservation accordingly.
Momentum for sub-categorisation increased after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment on 1 August 2024 in the State of Punjab vs. Davinder Singh case, which ruled that states could sub-classify Scheduled Castes to ensure reservations reach the most backward groups.
The court confirmed that such sub-classification is constitutional and consistent with the principle of equality under Article 14 of the Constitution.
The chief minister also assured support for the families of those who lost their kin in the struggle for sub-categorisation, stating, “We will identify these families, provide them houses under the Indiramma Housing Scheme, and offer financial assistance to the youth under the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam programmes.”
He further announced that following the 2026 census, the state would increase Scheduled Castes reservations based on updated data, emphasising, “It is our responsibility to enhance reservations and ensure their fair distribution.”
Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) played a significant role in accelerating the process.
In February 2024, the Union government filed an affidavit supporting sub-categorisation, a move that honoured the BJP’s promise ahead of the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pledged to facilitate sub-categorisation at a public meeting in Secunderabad organised by Manda Krishna Madiga, founder of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi.
Revanth Reddy, aware of the BJP’s efforts to garner support from the Madiga community – which outnumbers the Mala sub-caste – acted swiftly by constituting the Shameem Akhtar Commission to oversee the process.
According to the 2011 census, the Madiga population in Telangana stood at 32.33 lakh compared to 15.27 lakh Malas.
The Congress government plans to consolidate its political gains by organising a large public meeting to reaffirm its commitment to the Madiga cause, with plans to invite AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Once the bill receives the Governor’s assent, the state will implement the new reservation system for future job notifications.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
