The Andhra Pradesh State Assembly has passed a Bill to implement sub-classification among the State’s 59 Scheduled Castes, aiming to ensure a fairer distribution of reservation benefits in education and public employment.

Tabling the Bill on Tuesday, Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Minister for Social Welfare, Disabled, and Senior Citizen Welfare, said the measure seeks to promote fairness and equitable access to opportunities for all Scheduled Castes in the State.

Currently, Scheduled Castes are entitled to a 15% reservation in public sector jobs and educational institutions. The Bill aligns with constitutional provisions under Articles 14 to 16 and Directive Principles of State Policy under Articles 38, 39, 41, and 46, which emphasise social justice, equality of opportunity, and protective measures for socially and educationally backward communities.

Under the proposed classification, Group I – Most Backward (12 castes) will receive 6.5% of the 15% reservation, Group II – Backward (18 castes) will receive 7.5%, and Group III (29 castes) will receive 1%.

The Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes (Sub-classification) Ordinance, 2025, was promulgated by the Governor on April 16, 2025, and published in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette on April 17, 2025. The newly introduced Bill seeks to replace the ordinance and formalise these provisions through legislative approval.

This move follows a landmark Supreme Court judgment in W.P. Civil Appeal No. 2317 of 2011 and related petitions, delivered on August 1, 2024, in which a seven-judge bench, by a 6:1 majority, upheld the constitutionality of sub-classification within Scheduled Castes. In response, the Andhra Pradesh government appointed a One-Man Commission, led by Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, IAS (Retd.), under the COI Act, to recommend sub-classifications among the State’s Scheduled Caste sub-groups. The government has approved these recommendations.