{"id":41213,"date":"2025-04-15T19:09:31","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T13:39:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=41213"},"modified":"2025-04-15T19:09:47","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T13:39:47","slug":"telangana-scheduled-castes-act-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/15-04-2025\/telangana-scheduled-castes-act-2025","title":{"rendered":"Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Telangana government has notified the<strong> implementation of the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act 2025<\/strong> for categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SC) into three groups.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Telangana has become the<strong> first State<\/strong><strong>to operationalise<\/strong> the classification of the Scheduled Castes after the Supreme Court\u2019s landmark judgment.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The judgement upheld the <strong>constitutionality of sub-classifying the SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to grant separate quotas<\/strong> for the most marginalised groups within these communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Methodology Used for Categorisation:<\/strong> As per the SC\u2019s verdict, empirical data, social, economic, educational, employment and political status of the SC communities was considered.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Categorisation: <\/strong>59 SC communities in the state will be divided into three categories \u2013 Group I, II and III.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Group I:<\/strong> 15 sub-castes categorised as most backward have been classified as Group-I with 1 per cent reservation, these groups constitute just 0.5% of the population.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Group II: <\/strong>18 sub-castes of the total 59 which received marginal benefits have been placed under Group-II with 9 per cent reservation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Group III: <\/strong>26 sub-castes that were relatively better placed in Group III in terms of opportunities with 5 per cent reservation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>About SC\/ST Reservation<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Article 341<\/strong> of the Constitution empowers the <strong>President to designate certain \u2018castes, races, or tribes\u2019 as SCs<\/strong> based on <strong>historical injustice<\/strong>.<br>&#8211; <strong>According to Census 2011<\/strong>, Schedule Castes (SCs) approximately 16.6%, and Schedule Tribes (STs) approximately 8.6% of India\u2019s population.<br>1. SC groups collectively receive 15% reservation in education and public employment.<br>2. Over time, some SC groups have been underrepresented compared to others.<br>3. States have attempted to extend additional protection to these marginalised groups, but such efforts faced judicial scrutiny.<br><strong>Related Constitutional Provisions<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Article 14:<\/strong> Guarantees equality before law.<br>&#8211; <strong>Article 15 (4): <\/strong>The state is empowered to make any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the scheduled castes.<br>&#8211; <strong>Article 16(4), 16 (4A) and 16 (4B): <\/strong>Provide for reservation in posts and services.<br>&#8211; <strong>Article 335: <\/strong>Mentions maintaining administrative efficiency while considering SC\/ST claims in public employment.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Supreme Court\u2019s Judgement in State of Punjab v Davinder Singh case (2024)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the <strong>2024 State of Punjab v Davinder Singh c<\/strong><strong>ase<\/strong>,\u00a0 <strong>a seven-judge bench<\/strong> upheld the <strong>constitutional validity of sub-classification<\/strong> within SC\/ST categories.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This judgment has overruled the earlier decision in the<strong> EV Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra Pradesh case (2004)<\/strong>, which held that &#8216;Scheduled Castes&#8217; notified under <strong>Article 341<\/strong> form one homogeneous group and that sub-categorization is not permissible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sub-classification within the Scheduled Castes<\/strong> does <strong>not violate Article 341(2) <\/strong>because the castes are not per se included in or excluded from the List.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Historical and empirical evidence demonstrates that Scheduled Castes are a socially heterogeneous class. Thus, the State, in the exercise of its power <strong>under Articles 15(4) and 16(4)<\/strong>, can further classify Scheduled Castes if (a) there is a rational principle for differentiation; and (b) the rational principle has a nexus with the purpose of sub-classification.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Arguments in Favour<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Unequal Backwardness Within SCs: <\/strong>Some castes within the SC communities are more socially and educationally backward than others and have been consistently underrepresented.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Treating unequals equally perpetuates inequality, defeating the purpose of reservation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Constitutional Mandate allows it: <\/strong>Articles 15(4) and 16(4) empower the state to make special provisions for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward class.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promotes Effective Representation, Not Just Numerical:\u00a0 <\/strong>The goal is effective representation, not mere numbers, sub-classification can help achieve meaningful inclusion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Backed by Empirical Data: <\/strong>Allows the government to target affirmative action where it&#8217;s needed the most.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Arguments Against<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Article 341: <\/strong>Article 341 allows only the President to modify the SC list.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>State-led sub-classification is seen as indirect interference with the list and beyond state powers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fragmentation Within Community: <\/strong>Sub-quotas can lead to increased caste-based divisions among SCs.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It may undermine collective political strength and social solidarity of SC communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Defining Criteria: <\/strong>Establishing objective, empirical measures of disadvantage within SCs is challenging.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Risk of inaccurate classification and legal challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Opens the \u2018Creamy Layer\u2019 Debate: <\/strong>Introducing the \u2018creamy layer\u2019 concept for SCs (as some judges suggest) could dilute the protection provided to SCs as a whole.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reservation for SCs is not just about economic backwardness, but historical discrimination and stigma, which persists across income groups.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>States can now create sub-quotas within SC\/ST reservations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It gives greater autonomy for states to address internal disparities within the SC\/ST groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, stringent requirements of evidence and data may make implementation complex.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/telangana\/telangana-becomes-first-state-to-notify-scheduled-castes-categorisation\/article69448715.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Telangana government has notified the implementation of the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act 2025 for categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SC) into three groups.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Telangana has become the first Stateto operationalise the classification of the Scheduled Castes after the Supreme Court\u2019s landmark judgment.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The judgement upheld the constitutionality of sub-classifying the SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to grant separate quotas for the most marginalised groups within these communities.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/15-04-2025\/telangana-scheduled-castes-act-2025\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41213"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41247,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41213\/revisions\/41247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}