Minister C. Damodar Rajanarsimha expressed gratitude to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for fulfilling his promise on Scheduled Caste (SC) categorisation, by passing a legislation on the matter.
Hyderabad:Minister C. Damodar Rajanarsimha expressed gratitude to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for fulfilling his promise on Scheduled Caste (SC) categorisation, by passing a legislation on the matter.
Speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday, he stated that the government was enacting the SC categorisation Act within six months of the Supreme Court’s judgment. He described the Backward Classes (BC) caste census and SC categorisation as key initiatives reflecting the Chief Minister’s vision. Calling March 18, 2025, a historic day, he said the Congress government not only introduced the Bill but also held an extensive debate before its passage.
Rajanarsimha recalled that in 2000, based on a commission’s recommendations, SCs were divided into A, B, C and D groups, with reservations implemented accordingly. After Congress came to power under Revanth Reddy’s leadership, the government appointed a senior advocate to argue in favour of classification in the pending Supreme Court case.
“To further the process, a one-man judicial commission was established under retired judge Justice Shamim Akhtar, who conducted field visits across all districts, gathering public opinions. The commission received over 8,000 petitions and collected data on SC populations, literacy levels, employment, educational admissions, government job appointments, financial conditions and political representation. The study, completed in 82 days, resulted in a 199-page report submitted to the government on February 3, 2025,” he explained.
Based on the commission’s recommendations, 59 Scheduled Castes were classified into three groups: I, II and III. The 15 most socially, economically and educationally backward castes, with a population of 1,71,625 (3.288 per cent of the total SC population), were allocated an additional 1 per cent reservation. The 18 castes with moderate social, economic, and educational disadvantages, with a population of 32,74,377, were given 9 per cent reservation. The 26 castes in a relatively better position were allotted 5 per cent reservation. The minister further clarified that four castes from the old Group A, 10 from Group B and 20 from Group C would remain in their existing classifications.
