Revanth Reddy unveils Telangana caste survey, urges national OBC quota push

Business Standard

3 days ago

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy unveiled the 'Telangana Socio-Economic Survey - Model and Methodology' at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi, and urged Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to raise the issue of OBC reservations in Parliament.
Presenting the state's comprehensive caste-based socio-economic survey, Reddy stated that the exercise was "not just a caste survey, but a social, economic, educational, employment, and political survey."
As per the data, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), including practising Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Buddhists, constitute 56.4 per cent of Telangana's population. Scheduled Castes (SCs) account for 17.4 per cent, Scheduled Tribes (STs) 10.8 per cent, and forward castes 10.9 per cent. Notably, 3.9 per cent of the population has been categorised under "no caste."
The survey identified previously unlisted castes and analysed their socio-economic conditions by name and location.
"Education levels showed who was privileged despite landlessness. Even those with assets, if uneducated, remained backwards, while landless but educated families became upwardly mobile," Reddy noted.
The survey, which compiled 88 crore pages of self-declared, "foolproof" data, was conducted with meticulous oversight.
Reddy outlined the process, "We began with household enumeration, placed stickers on houses, and created 94,113 blocks, each with an enumerator and supervisor. Mandal-level committees, collectors, the planning department, the Chief Secretary, a Cabinet Sub-Committee, the Deputy CM, and I monitored it. For those who didn't participate, we provided an additional 15 days, opened toll-free helplines, and established help counters in every office. Those who still refused were excluded. If you don't want to be part of the system, you won't be counted."
Following the survey, the Telangana government passed two reservation bills, one for education and employment and another for political representation, allocating 42 per cent reservation for OBCs.
These bills, pending before the President of India for three months, prompted Reddy to appeal to Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, and Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, to advocate for their passage.
"We ask Rahul Gandhi ji and Kharge ji to raise this in Parliament, put forward motions, and take the lead. We will protest in the streets if needed," he declared.
Additionally, Telangana increased SC reservations from 15 per cent to 17.5 per cent and ST reservations from 6 per cent to 10 per cent, aligning with their population shares.
He said, "According to the report, OBCs (including practising Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Buddhists) make up 56.4 per cent of the population. SCs are 17.4 per cent, STs 10.8 per cent, and forward castes 10.9 per cent--but in that, only 3.9 per cent are no castes. We identified previously unknown castes outside the list. Our expert committee studied them, by name, by location. Education levels showed who was privileged despite landlessness. Even those with assets, if uneducated, remained backward. Meanwhile, even those who are landless and asset-less have developed because of their education and educated families, becoming upwardly mobile. This is not just a caste survey, but also social, economic, education, employment, and political."
Reddy took a sharp jab at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, accusing them of resisting a national caste census.
"For many years, Congress has raised the issue of a caste census, ever since the RSS was formed in 1925. It is now 2025, yet their ideology avoids counting OBCs," he said, referencing a 2020 Supreme Court affidavit where the BJP-led government declined to undertake a caste census.
He also questioned Modi's OBC credentials, alleging, "He is a legally converted OBC, adopting the status only after becoming Chief Minister for political advantage."
Highlighting Congress's advocacy, Reddy recalled a protest at Jantar Mantar, supported by 16 political parties and 55 MPs, which pressured the Centre to include a caste census in the 2026 national census.
"This is a success of Rahul Gandhi ji's movement," he said, drawing parallels to the repeal of the controversial farm laws after Gandhi's sustained campaign.
He added, "When Rahul bhaiya told Modi ji to repeal them, they were repealed. Modi ji even apologised. Why? Because Rahul Gandhi speaks for the people.
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