Telangana Govt Tables Key Reservation Bills, Opposition Raises Concerns

Hyderabad: The Telangana government is set to introduce three crucial Bills in the state assembly on Monday, aiming to rationalize reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Backward Classes (BCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will table the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Bill, 2025, while BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar will present two other Bills—

• Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and Appointments in State Services) Bill, 2025
• Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025

Five Bills to Be Tabled in the Assembly

In total, five Bills will be tabled in the assembly after the question hour. Following the key reservation Bills, Forest and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha will introduce the Telangana Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Later, CM Revanth Reddy will present the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

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Reservation Bills Spark Political Debate

The government aims to pass a unanimous resolution on the three key Bills and send it to the central government for approval in Parliament, especially the 42% quota for BCs Bill and SC sub-classification Bill. However, opposition parties are expected to challenge the Bills, alleging that the government has underreported the BC population. The official survey states BCs constitute 46% of Telangana’s population, while opposition parties argue the actual figure exceeds 51%.

Similarly, the SC Mala community has expressed dissatisfaction with the SC sub-classification, raising concerns over the division of reservations.

Congress’ Election Promise on Caste-Based Reservations

The Congress, in its 2023 election manifesto, pledged to conduct a caste-based survey and extend 42% reservations to BCs. Fulfilling this promise, the Congress government conducted a comprehensive household survey, covering socio-economic, educational, employment, political, and caste demographics.

According to the survey findings, Backward Classes (including BC-E Muslims) make up 56.33% of Telangana’s total population.

SC Sub-Classification and Recommendations

The Justice (Retd) Shameem Akthar one-man commission report on SC classification was adopted by the assembly on February 4, 2025. Based on the report, the government proposed the following reservation distribution among SC sub-castes:

• 1% reservation for 15 SC sub-castes (Group I)
• 9% reservation for various SC castes (Group II)
• 5% reservation for 26 SC sub-castes (Group III)

However, the government rejected the recommendation to introduce a creamy layer among SCs, a move that has sparked debates within the community. Many SC groups are now demanding increased reservations in proportion to their population.

What’s Next for the Reservation Bills?

As the Telangana assembly debates these crucial Bills, sparks are expected to fly between the ruling party and opposition. The state government is determined to push for the 42% BC reservation and SC sub-classification, while opposition parties are likely to challenge the methodologies used in the population survey.

With growing demands for higher reservation quotas, the coming days will be crucial for the future of caste-based reservations in Telangana.