The backward classes constitute 56.33% of Telangana’s total population, according to a comprehensive caste survey conducted by the Congress-ruled state. The report has been submitted to a Cabinet sub-committee, headed by Uttam Kumar Reddy.
According to the survey, Muslims account for about 12.56% of the state’s population. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes account for 17.43% and 10.45% of the population respectively.
The survey covered over 3.54 crore people, comprising over 96.9% of the households in Telangana, in 50 days.
Telangana is the third state in the country, after Bihar and Karnataka, to conduct a caste survey to determine caste-wise demographics. In the run-up to the 2023 Assembly elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called for “jitni abadi, utna haq” (rights proportional to population) in the state.
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. The Centre will then be responsible for acting on the demand.
The caste survey was conducted by deploying 94,863 enumerators and 9,628 supervisors across 94,261 enumeration blocks. Seven thousand data entry operators digitised the information within 36 days. The state’s planning department conducted it after a resolution to that effect was passed in the Assembly on February 4, 2024.
The findings will “help refine welfare schemes, improve job opportunities, and uplift weaker sections”, the minister said.
The caste survey was one of the promises made by the Congress in Telangana in its election manifesto in 2023. The party swept to power that year, defeating the regional Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the Assembly election.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that in comparison with Bihar, where a similar survey was undertaken, Telangana’s process was smooth and efficient. “It is a historic day for social justice in Telangana. The completed report stands as a milestone that will redefine governance and policy-making in the state,” he said.
The minister announced that the report would be presented before the Cabinet on February 4. It will also be put up for a short discussion in the Assembly on the same day.
“This marks a significant step towards data-driven governance, fulfilling a major promise made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections.
The survey did face hurdles along its way. “Among the key operational challenges were that 1.03 lakh houses were found locked, 1.68 lakh families were initially hesitant to participate, and 84,137 houses were misclassified due to non-residential usage or occupants being non-Telangana residents,” Reddy said.
BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the survey is a “golden chapter in the history of Telangana because large swaths of people participated in it, showing trust in the Congress government”.
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