Hyderabad, April 14 : The Telangana government on Monday started implementation of the Scheduled Caste sub-categorisation Act.

The Law Department issued a Government Order (GO) bringing into force the Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Act.

The development coincided with the birth anniversary of the Constitution's prime architect, Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

With this, Telangana became the first state in the country to implement SC sub-categorisation after the Supreme Court delivered its judgment last year.

The state Assembly had last month passed a bill for sub-categorisation of SCs. The bill was drafted after a one-man commission headed by Justice Shamim Akther submitted its report.

Governor Jishnu Dev Varma gave his assent to the bill on April 8.

The Act aims to rationalise the existing 15 per cent reservation for Scheduled Castes by categorising 59 SC 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 it has been allocated a 1 per cent reservation. Group II includes 18 moderately benefited communities, forming 62.74 per cent of the SC population, and it will enjoy a 9 per cent reservation. Group III consists of 26 relatively better-off communities, making up 33.963 per cent of the SC population, and will receive a 5 per cent reservation.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who headed the Cabinet Sub-committee on SC categorisation, termed the development historic.

"From today, SC categorisation will be implemented in Telangana in employment and education," he told the media after presenting the first copy of the GO to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

He said the Congress government delivered on decades-old demand that was never fulfilled in united Andhra Pradesh or in Telangana. He pointed out that although several 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, adding that it was the Congress government that had shown the political will to act.

Uttam Kumar Reddy credited the Congress's 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 Sub-Committee, at its final meeting on Sunday, gave its approval to the GO. The meeting was also attended by Justice Akther (retd).

The 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.

It 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.

Pointing out that 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 existing benefits would be diluted and that the categorisation was designed to enhance fairness while protecting the rights of all SC groups.

The minister noted that the current 15 per cent reservation for SCs is based on the 2011 Census, whereas the SC population in Telangana has since grown to approximately 17.5 per cent. He said the Congress government would consider increasing the total reservation once data from the 2026 Census becomes available.

/IANS