Telangana's Bold Step: Expanding BC Reservations

Telangana's Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced plans to present data from the 2024-25 Caste Survey to increase BC reservation in jobs, education, and elections to 42 per cent. The initiative aims to address socio-economic needs but has sparked legal scrutiny and public debate over transparency and compliance.

In a significant policy development, Telangana's Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, has confirmed that the state government will boost Backward Class (BC) reservations to 42 per cent, up from the current 23 per cent. This change follows the empirical findings from the state's 2024-25 Caste Survey, set to be discussed in the Assembly.

The ambitious move seeks to rectify the earlier reduction under K Chandrashekar Rao's tenure, which saw BC reservations drop to 23 per cent from 34 per cent. Reddy has reassured stakeholders of the data's integrity, pledging transparency to both legislative bodies and Congress MPs during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

While the state's comprehensive survey captures significant demographic and socio-economic data, the process has attracted legal attention. The Telangana High Court has mandated transparency and has urged the government to release the data accordingly. Controversially, expanding BC reservations could push the state's total to 67-70 per cent, breaching the traditional 50 per cent reservation cap. This aligns Telangana with states like Tamil Nadu, which also exceeds the cap under special provisions.

(With inputs from agencies.)