Revanth Reddy: State To Implement Reservations For Madiga & Mala Sub-Castes

Revanth Reddy

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Thursday has announced that the Telangana government will implement categorization of SCs (Scheduled Castes) according to the recent Supreme Court verdict on sub-classification.

Speaking in the Assembly, Reddy stated that the government plans to introduce reservations for the Madiga and Mala sub-castes in current job notifications.

Reddy recalled that the previous administration had suspended Sampath Kumar on this issue and highlighted that, on December 23, 2023, Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, Advocate General, and Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha represented Telangana in the Supreme Court to argue the categorization matter.

“We are grateful for the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench for their verdict. In line with the ruling, Telangana will categorize A, B, C, and D categories and ensure reservations for the Madiga and Mala sub-castes in job postings. If needed, we will issue an ordinance to enforce these measures,” said Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

Earlier, the Supreme Court ruled 6:1 that sub-classification within SC/ST reservations is permissible. A seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud overturned a previous five-judge bench decision from the EV Chinnaiah case, which had deemed sub-classification impermissible, arguing that SC/STs are homogenous classes.

The bench, which included Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma, addressed the issue of sub-classification for SCs and STs. Chief Justice Chandrachud noted that despite representation, the struggles of these classes persist at lower levels. Justice Bela M Trivedi dissented, stating her disagreement with the majority opinion.