A petition has been filed in the Telangana High Court regarding the commission on the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes.
A petition has been submitted to the Telangana High Court questioning the legality of the Telangana government’s choice to set up a one-man commission for a thorough study on the sub-classification of Scheduled Caste communities in the state. The petition was filed by Batthula Ram Prasad, a social worker and President of the Mala Welfare Association. Prasad argues that the commission was formed without the required consultation with the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes, as stated in Article 338 (9) of the Indian Constitution.
Prasad claims that sub-classifying Scheduled Castes is a significant policy decision that impacts the rights and benefits of these communities under various constitutional provisions. He emphasized that any policy change in this area would greatly affect the constitutional rights of Scheduled Castes, including the amount of reservation they would receive after sub-classification.
Prasad argues that the State’s choice to create a commission without consulting the National Commission is illegal and arbitrary, and he believes it should be overturned. In his argument, he pointed to a recent Supreme Court ruling that confirmed States can divide reserved category groups into sub-groups based on their level of backwardness. However, Prasad noted that the Supreme Court did not properly interpret the Constitution’s requirement for consulting the National Commission before sub-classifying Scheduled Castes, which he claims is necessary.
Additionally, Prasad mentioned that as a member of the Mala community, a Scheduled Caste, the State’s decision impacts him directly. He has filed a challenge against the State’s order to form the commission through his lawyer, B Karthik Navayan. The Telangana government established this one-man commission last month through an order from its Scheduled Caste Development Department. Justice Shameem Akhter, a former High Court judge, has been appointed to lead the commission, which is tasked with studying the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes in the State, exploring various related issues, and making recommendations to the government.
