Kapu reservations in AP: Centre says state can decide

VIJAYAWADA: The long demand of the Kapu community for reservation benefits is likely to be granted with a clarification from the Union Government that the state government can, on its own, provide reservations in the Economically Backward Community quota.

BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao posed questions regarding Kapu reservations in Parliament. To which, Social justice and empowerment minister Pratima Bhoumik replied in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Narasimha Rao asked whether any permission is required from the central government to provide OBC reservation to any caste in respect of jobs in state government and educational institutions; whether separate central and state BC lists for reservations existed since the beginning; whether 5 per cent reservation provided to Kapu community through the 2019 Act by the Andhra Pradesh assembly as "quota within quota" (from the 10 per cent EWS reservation) is legally permissible; and if due process is to be followed by the government, of Andhra Pradesh if it has to give BC reservation to the Kapu community in state for jobs and education.

Minister Bhoumik said, “No permission is required from central government to provide OBC reservation to any caste by the state government and the central and state Lists of Backward Classes have been in existence since the reservations to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was introduced in the central government in 1993.”

The minister stated that the 103rd Constitution  Amendment Act 2019 enables states to provide a maximum of 10 per cent reservation to the economically weaker sections (EWS) and the state government is empowered to provide reservation to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and to prepare and maintain for its own purposes a separate list of SEBCs, as per the provisions of Article 342A(3) inserted vide the Constitution 105th Amendment Act, 2021. 

Notably, the then Andhra Pradesh government led by Telugu Desam chief N Chandrababu Naidu provided 5 per cent reservation for the Kapu community through the Andhra Pradesh Economically Weaker Sections of Citizens (Reservation of seats in Educational institutions and of appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Act 2019.

Chandrababu Naidu had promised to provide reservations to Kapus during the 2014 elections, appointed the Manjunatha Commission and the government received the report. Later, Naidu provided five per cent reservations to Kapus out of the EWC quota of ten per cent. Later, the YSR Congress government came into power and the reservations failed to be implemented due to legal objections.

YSRC leaders had opined that there was no use for Kapus with the five per cent EWS reservation as the community would not get those benefits of BCs under this category.

Chief Minister Jagan Reddy had repeatedly assured Kapus they would be given priority in development and welfare through welfare schemes. The YSRC also opined that there was no legality to Kapu reservation by bifurcating EWS reservation quota as Naidu did. But, now, with the clarification from the Union Government, the AP government will be called upon to take a decision on Kapu reservations. 

MP Narasimha Rao urged the state government to immediately implement reservations for the Kapus.