Reservation for sub-castes in scheduled category; Modi's announcement at Madiga rally

HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced on November 11, 2023 that he will resolve the demand of allocating sub-quota in the reservation quota by dividing the Scheduled Castes into sub-categories. Modi's assurance was given at a Madiga community rally held in Secunderabad. Historic judgment of Supreme Court after 9 months, reservation can be given to sub-categories of ST and SC categories. Against this backdrop, the verdict will boost Modi's image among the backward castes.

The communities in the Scheduled Caste category without significant social progress are the ones that demand special reservation by dividing themselves into sub-castes. The Scheduled Tribes of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are living in extremely backward conditions. There are 59 Scheduled Caste sub-castes including Madiga. The Irular community in Tamil Nadu is also a very backwards Scheduled Community.

On November 13, 2023, Kerala Kaumudi had reported that if the proposal is implemented, the current schedule caste reservation system will change completely and there will be protests from the non-subcaste communities.

Idea came up in 1975

The idea of ​​sub-categorization was mooted in 1975, but the central government withdrew from it due to legal issues. Modi said that a committee will be formed to continue the legal battle in the Supreme Court and to get justice for the Madiga community, which has been fighting for three decades for a proportional quota in the Scheduled Caste reservation.

In Telangana, the Madigas are the majority of the Scheduled Castes, but the Mala community which is second gets the most benefits of reservation due to social, economic and political factors. The Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) was formed to fight for population proportional sub-quota in SC reservation for Madiga. Modi had shared the stage with its national president Manda Krishna Madiga in Secunderabad that day.