Andhra Pradesh to implement SC sub-categorisation after 2026 census: CM Naidu

Amaravati, March 20 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government will implement Scheduled Castes reservation sub-categorisation after the 2026 census, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu told the Assembly on Thursday. 

Naidu announced that sub-categorisation will be implemented district-wise once the census data is available.

He assured the House that the TDP-led government is committed to implementing its poll promise of SC sub-categorisation for equitable distribution of reservation benefits among various SC communities.

The state Cabinet on Monday approved the recommendations of the one-member commission led by retired IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan Mishra on the sub-classification of the state.

According to the report, the Relli sub-group, consisting of 12 castes, was identified as the 'most backward', followed by the Madiga sub-group with 18 castes categorised as 'backward', while the Mala sub-group, comprising 29 castes, was considered 'relatively less backward'.

The report recommended 1 per cent reservation for the Relli sub-group (group 1), 6.5 per cent for the Madiga sub-group (group 2), and 7.5 per cent for the Mala sub-group (group 3).

Naidu, however, stated that he cannot recommend sub-categorisation at present, as accurate census data for the state's 26 districts is not yet available.

He assured that no group would be disadvantaged. He expressed satisfaction that the long-pending issue, which had been debated since he first assumed office in 1995, was finally addressed under his leadership.

He recalled that Manda Krishna launched a major movement under the banner of "Madiga Dandora," arguing that Madigas faced injustice and even hesitation in acknowledging their identity. Recognising the legitimacy of these demands, the government set up the Justice Ramachandra Rao Commission on September 10, 1996.

A government order was issued on June 6, 1997, sub-categorising SC reservations into A, B, C, and D groups. This sub-categorisation, approved by then-President K.R. Narayanan on November 30, 1999, led to over 22,000 job opportunities for Madigas and other sub-groups, he said. However, in November 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that only Parliament had the authority to decide on sub-categorisation. The Usha Mehra Commission, set up by the Central government, later confirmed that the categorisation implemented between 2000-2004 had yielded positive results.

In August 2024, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud ruled in favour of SC reservation sub-categorisation.

Chief Minister Naidu stated that he considers it a rare opportunity and a result of past good deeds to have been part of this 30-year journey. He said that the Supreme Court’s ruling validated his vision for social justice. He praised former Chief Minister (N.T. Rama Rao) NTR’s efforts in social justice, highlighting that NTR was the first to build permanent housing for SCs and STs and to establish social welfare schools for them.