SC Categorisation Act to be in force from April 14: Uttam Kumar Reddy
Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday announced that the state government would implement the SC Categorisation Act from April 14, Dr B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti, when it comes into force
Hyderabad: Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday announced that the state government would implement the SC Categorisation Act from April 14, Dr B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti, when it comes into force. Telangana will become becomes the first state to implement the sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes after the Supreme Court’s order.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the first copy of the government order (GO) outlining the modalities of the Act would be handed over to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
He said that the Congress government under Revanth Reddy had delivered on a decades-old demand. Though 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.
The minister was speaking at the final meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on SC categorisation at the Secretariat on Sunday. The meeting was attended by committee vice-chairman and ,inister Damodar Rajanarsimha, ministers Danasari Anasuya Seethakka and Ponnam Prabhakar, Justice Shamim Akhtar (retd) who headed the one-man commission, principal secretary, welfare and N. Sridhar, law secretary Rendla Tirupati. The committee reviewed the implementation guidelines based on the recommendations of the Justice Akhtar commission and gave its final approval for issuing the GO.
The Act aims to rationalise the 15 per cent reservation for Scheduled Castes by categorising 59 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 was allocated one per cent reservation.
Group II includes 18 moderately benefited communities, forming 62.74 per cent of the SC population, and was allotted 9 per cent. Group III consists of 26 relatively better-off communities, making up 33.963 per cent of the SC population, and received 5 per cent reservation.
The cabinet sub-committee 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 benefit would be diluted and that the categorisation was designed to enhance fairness while protecting the rights of all SC groups.
Uttam Kumar Reddy credited the Congress’ commitment to social justice and said the decision to implement SC categorisation was backed by strong leadership at the national level, with party leader Rahul Gandhi reiterating support for the cause during his election campaign. The Act was unanimously passed by the legislature on March 18 and subsequently approved by Governor Jishnu Dev Varma.
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.
