The State government has extended the reservations for backward classes in education and employment, including age concession of five years for recruitment, for a further period of 10 years.
The existing reservations for BCs were extended in the undivided Andhra Pradesh in May 2011 for 10 years up to May 31, 2021. The quota was given to a total of 112 castes and later another class ‘orphaned and destitute children’ was included as the 113th community in 2015.
In September last year, the government accepted the recommendations of Telangana State Commission for BCs to include 17 new castes in the list of BCs under Groups ‘A’ and ‘D’. This took the total number of communities enjoying BC reservations to 130.
Accordingly, reservations for different categories of backward classes — BC-A (7 %), BC-B (10%), BC-C (1%), BC-D (7%) and BC-E (4%) — will continue for 10 more years till May 31, 2031. Reservation in favour of BC E group comprising socially and economically backward Muslims would however be subject to the outcome of civil appeal pending before the Supreme Court, BC Welfare department Principal Secretary B. Venkatesham said in the orders issued on Friday.
The reservations for BCs have been extended for different periods from time to time since they were first introduced on the recommendations of a commission headed by K.N. Anantaraman since 1970. This was the fifth extension to be given now.
The latest orders followed a communication addressed by the BC Commission informing the government that the existing reservations were set to expire on May 31.
