Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly approves sub-classification of Scheduled Castes; we have kept our word, asserts Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Thursday approved the report of the One-Man Commission on Sub-Classification of Scheduled Castes headed by Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, a retired IAS officer.

Earlier, several members, including Nakka Ananda Babu, Kalava Srinivasulu, Pithani Satyanarayana, Konathala Ramakrishna, B. Ramanjaneyulu, and N. Venkata Raju, spoke on the issue in detail.

A majority of the members appealed to Legislative Assembly Speaker Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu to ensure that the State government implemented the SC sub-classification taking the district as a unit.

In his remarks, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to SC sub-categorisation, stating that it was a long-pending demand that had now been fulfilled.

Mr. Naidu said sub-classification of SCs had been done in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives to ensure equitable distribution of benefits among the SC sub-groups.

“This is a promise we made, and we have fulfilled it. It has been a 30-year-long struggle, and I am proud to see it come to fruition during my tenure,” Mr. Naidu said during his speech. He assured that the move would not cause harm to any group, and urged people not to believe in misconceptions on it.

State as unit

“The sub-classification will be based on the 2011 Census, with Andhra Pradesh as a single unit for implementation. However, from 2026, it will be applied at the district level,” Mr. Naidu made it clear.

“The decision is aimed at ensuring that the historically marginalised sub-groups within the community receive their rightful share of benefits,” he said.

To study and recommend sub-categorisation, the State government had constituted the One-Man Commission, he explained.

After a detailed survey across the 13 districts (prior to reorganisation of the districts), the Commission submitted its report on March 10, 2025.

The Commission recommended that the sub-groups be divided into three categories — Group 1: most backward sub-castes (Relli sub-group with 12 castes comprising 2.25% of total SC population) – 1% reservation; Group 2: backward sub-castes (Madiga sub-group of 18 castes with 41.56% population) – 6.5% reservation; and Group 3: comparatively less backward sub-castes (Mala sub-group of 29 castes with 53.97% of total SC population) – 7.5% reservation.

Mr. Naidu explained that under the new roster system, if one hundred government jobs were available, eight would go to Mala, six to Madiga, and one to the Relli sub-group, ensuring fair representation.

Long journey

Observing that the demand for sub-categorisation of SCs was not new, the Chief Minister said noted activist Manda Krishna Madiga had led the ‘Madiga Dandora’ movement for years for the cause.

“I personally witnessed the struggles of these communities. We had constituted the Justice Ramachandra Rao Commission in 1996, which conducted extensive studies and recommended sub-categorisation,” Mr. Naidu recalled.

The recommendations had been implemented in 1997. By 1999, with the approval of then President K.R. Narayanan, the sub-classification had become a law.

However, a Supreme Court ruling in 2004 stated that only Parliament had the authority to decide on such classifications.

“Despite legal challenges, the Supreme Court, in August 2023, upheld the validity of sub-categorisation. This journey of three decades is one of my proudest contributions to social justice,” the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Naidu highlighted the TDP’s commitment to social justice, noting that the party was the first to make G.M.C. Balayogi, a Dalit leader, Speaker of the Lok Sabha Speaker and K. Pratibha Bharati, a Dalit woman, Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly (in the combined State).

Mr. Naidu claimed credit for ensuring the appointment of Kaki Madhava Rao as Chief Secretary and pushing for Bharat Ratna for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Dig at YSRCP

The Chief Minister criticised the previous YSRCP administration for making no substantial efforts for the uplift of the SC communities during its five-year term.

“The previous government did not allocate a single rupee for the most backward sub-castes,” he said. In contrast, Mr. Naidu said, the NDA government allocated ₹804 crore, including ₹240 crore grant for SC welfare.