Backward classes form largest chunk of population in Telangana, says caste survey

Hyderabad: Backward classes other than Muslim minorities at 46.25 per cent form the largest chunk of the total 3.70 crore population of Telangana, according to the caste survey conducted in the state.

The population of BCs is followed by the Scheduled Castes (17.43 per cent), Scheduled Tribes (10.45), backward classes among Muslims (10.08) and Other Castes (13.31), OCs among Muslims (2.48) in terms of the percentage of population.

The state planning department which conducted the survey submitted its report to the cabinet sub-committee headed by state Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday.

The minister said the report would be presented before the state cabinet on February 4. On the same day, it would be placed before a special session of the legislative assembly for debate.

In terms of numbers, the population of SCs is 61,84,319, STs is 37,05,929, BCs other than Muslim minorities is 1,64,09,179, BCs among Muslim minorities 35,76,588, Muslim (OC) is 8,80,424.

Total Muslim percentage in the state is 12.56, Reddy told reporters here.

Total households in the state is 1,15,78,457, while the total households surveyed is 1,12,15,134.

Telangana provides reservations to backward Muslims in the backward classes category.

Reddy, who termed the report as historic, said the survey covered 3,54,77,554 individuals (96.9 per cent of population).

He said 3.1 per cent of the population (16 lakh) were left out of the survey as they were either not available or did not show interest in participating in it.

"This process of preparing the report and the report itself is a landmark achievement to the government of Telangana which will go down in the annals of social history of the country," the minister said.

Through the survey, data-driven welfare and data-driven opportunities in social, economic, educational, political fields would be available to the "poorest of the poor, weakest of the weak and marginalised sections in Telangana", he said.

The Congress government's comprehensive socio-economic, employment, political and caste survey, an election promise of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, was conducted for 50 days from November 6, 2024.