Hyderabad: Governor Jishnu Dev Varma is yet to give his assent to the crucial Telangana Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Rural and Urban Local Bodies) Bill, 2025. Passed on March 17, the bill seeks to increase reservation for Backward Classes in local bodies from the current 29%, to 42%.
The Congress govt is hoping to hold elections to local bodies in the state under the new law after having conducted a caste census earlier this year. If the bill is forwarded to the President for a decision, it will become the third bill pending with Rashtrapati Bhavan from the state.
On the other hand, the governor has consented to The Telangana Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointment or Posts in The Services Under the State) Bill, 2025.
Sources indicate Raj Bhavan is reported to be reviewing the legal implications of the bill, which seeks to increase reservation for Backward Classes in local bodies from 29% to 42%, raising the overall quota to 67%, thus surpassing the 50% cap set by Supreme Court. The state govt is pressing for the bill to be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution so that it can’t be challenged in court.
Sources added Varma will have to take a call on the bill quickly now that the Supreme Court on April 8 set a one-month deadline to clear bills or send them back to the assembly.
Two other bills submitted to the President during the BRS tenure when Tamilisai Soundararajan was governor remain pending with Rashtrapati Bhavan. These include The University of Forestry Telangana Bill, 2022, and The Telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, 2022.
While the Congress govt has proceeded with recruitment in universities by following UGC guidelines after there was no response on the common recruitment board bill.
With the governor’s approval to the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalization of Reservations) Bill, 2025, the govt is expected to issue a detailed notification within the next couple of days. A commission, headed by Justice Shameem Akhtar, proposed the categorisation of 59 SC sub-castes into three distinct groups. These suggestions have been directly included in the bill.