About the role
Telangana has become the first state in India to officially implement the sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in reservations for education and government jobs, following the Supreme Court's August 2024 verdict permitting such classification.
The state government issued a gazette notification on April 14, 2025, coinciding with Dr BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary, dividing 59 SC communities into three groups—Group I (1% reservation), Group II (9%), and Group III (5%)—within the existing 15% SC quota.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy called it a historic and revolutionary step towards social justice, while Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy confirmed immediate implementation and assured adjustments based on the 2026 census population data.
The Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Act, 2025, received the governor's assent on April 8 and was formally notified on April 14. The classification is based on a detailed study by a commission led by retired High Court judge Justice Shameem Akther, which analysed socio-economic and educational disparities among SC sub-castes.
Group I includes 15 highly disadvantaged communities, Group II has 18 moderately benefited groups, and Group III comprises 26 relatively better-off sub-castes. The government rejected the introduction of a creamy layer within SCs, aiming to ensure equitable benefits without economic exclusion.
