Backward classes account for 56.33% of Telangana’s population, according to data released on Sunday from the state’s Socio Economic, Educational, Employment, Political, and Caste (SEEEPC) survey, which has been tabled before a Cabinet sub-committee.
Scheduled Castes account for 17.43% of the population and Scheduled Tribes account for 10.45%, according to the survey. Other castes (OC) make up 15.79% of the population.
In absolute numbers, the backward classes (BC) population of the state is 1,64,09,179. The SC population is 61,84,319 and ST population is 37,05,929. The total number of OC people in the state stands at 44,21,115.
The Muslim population in the state, according to the survey, is 44,57,012, out of which 35,76,588 are BC Muslims. BC Muslims make up 10.08% of the population and OC Muslims account for 2.48%.
The SEEEPC covered 96.9% of households in Telangana in a span of 50 days, state minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said at a press conference in Hyderabad on Sunday. The announcement was made after a meeting between ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy, D Seethakka, Ponnam Prabhakar and Damodar Raja Narasimha.
The survey was conducted by deploying 94,863 enumerators and 9,628 supervisors across 94,261 enumeration blocks. A total of 76,000 data entry operators digitised the information within 36 days. It was undertaken by the state’s planning department after a resolution to that effect was passed in the state Assembly on February 4, 2024. The findings will “help refine welfare schemes, improve job opportunities, and uplift weaker sections”, according to the government.
The caste survey was one of the promises made by the Congress in Telangana in its election manifesto in 2023. The Congress swept to power that year, defeating the regional Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the Assembly election.
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Speaking at the press conference, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that in comparison with Bihar, where a similar survey was undertaken, Telangana’s process was smooth and efficient. He said Bihar’s survey took six months and Rs 500 crore to complete.
“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,” Reddy said.
He announced that the report would be presented before the Cabinet on February 4. It will later 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 Congress government, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, have now laid the foundation for welfare policies based on real-time socio-economic data,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
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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”.
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,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said.