Telangana's caste survey reveals BCs at 56.33%; sets blueprint for data-driven governance

In the 2018 rural body elections, the previous BRS government reduced the BC quota from 34% to 23%, restricting total reservations to 50%.
Ministers present the caste survey report to the media at the Secretariat in Hyderabad on Sunday
Ministers present the caste survey report to the media at the Secretariat in Hyderabad on Sunday
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HYDERABAD: The Backward Classes (BCs) account for 56.33% of people in the state, of whom 10.08% are BC Muslims.

These figures were revealed by the state government after it conducted the Socio-Economic, Education, Employment, Political and Caste Survey, a comprehensive door-to-door household survey covering 3,54,77,554 people and 1,12,15,134 families.

The remaining population includes 17.43% SCs, 10.45% STs and 12.56% Muslims, of which 2.48% are OC Muslims. OCs make up 13.31% of Telangana’s total population. Of the total, 50.51% were male and 49.45% female, the survey revealed.

Telangana is the third state in the country after Bihar and Karnataka to conduct a caste survey to determine caste-wise demographics. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had called for “jitni abadi, utna haq” (rights proportionate to population) in the state in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly elections. With this demographic data, the Congress government is expected to pass a resolution urging the Union government to amend the Constitution to exceed the 50% reservation cap set by the Supreme Court, putting the onus on the Centre to act on the demand.

In the 2018 rural body elections, the then-BRS government reduced the BC quota from 34% to 23%, restricting total reservations to 50%.

16 lakh people opt out

The Planning department, which acted as the nodal agency for conducting the caste survey, submitted its report based on the Supreme Court’s judgment on sub-classification within SC and ST reserved categories. A committee, headed by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, reviewed the findings and recommendations. Principal Secretary (Planning) Sandeep Kumar Sultania gave a detailed presentation to the Cabinet sub-committee members, including Uttam, Dansari Anasuya alias Seethakka, Ponnam Prabhakar and C Damodar Rajanarasimha.

Despite hurdles such as legal challenges and alleged orchestrated campaigns, the Telangana government completed the survey within a year of passing the resolution in the State Assembly. The data collection process faced obstacles, including 1.03 lakh houses that were locked, 1.68 lakh families initially hesitant to participate and over 84,000 houses misclassified due to non-residential usage or because the occupants were non-Telangana residents. Nevertheless, 96.9% of the population participated, while around 16 lakh individuals (3.1%) opted out for various reasons. 

TG model WILL be a blueprint for other states, says Uttam

Divulging details to the media at the State Secretariat on Sunday, Uttam stated that Telangana has made history by completing India’s largest-ever Socio-Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste Survey, covering 96.9% of households in just 50 days. He highlighted that the entire process, from passing the Cabinet resolution to submitting the final report, was completed in exactly one year.

He emphasised that the survey marks a significant step toward data-driven governance, enabling targeted implementation of welfare and developmental schemes for the poorest sections of society. The survey also fulfils a key electoral promise made by the Congress during the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections. The minister announced that the survey report would be presented to the Cabinet on February 4 at 10 am, followed by a short discussion in the Assembly on the same day.

“This comprehensive survey, the largest since Independence, covered 96.9% of Telangana households with the help of 94,863 enumerators and 9,628 supervisors deployed across 94,261 enumeration blocks. A total of 76,000 data entry operators digitised the information within 36 days. The Centre for Good Governance developed the digital infrastructure for smooth execution,” Uttam said.

DURAI

The Congress government, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, has now laid the foundation for welfare policies based on real-time socioeconomic data. “With Telangana setting a new benchmark in large-scale data collection, this survey is expected to be a blueprint for other states across India, ensuring equitable governance and data-driven decision-making,” the minister added.

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