The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, at its special meeting on Saturday, accepted the recommendations of the Dedicated Commission headed by Rajeev Ranjan Mishra with regard to the provision of reservation for the Backward Classes (BCs) and the total reservations for SC, ST and BC categories put together not exceeding 50% in any local body (rural and urban), as mandated in the triple test by the Supreme Court and in compliance with its judgment in the SLP dated October 9 and with the preceding High Court order.
In the G.O. MS No.17 issued to this effect later, it was stated that the Dedicated Commission had been constituted in compliance with the triple test / conditions required to be complied with as per the judgments of the apex court in the ‘Dr. K. Krishna Murthy & Others Vs. Union of India & Another’, ‘Vikas Kishan Rao Gawali Vs. State of Maharashtra & Others’, and ‘Suresh Mahajan Vs. State of Madhya Pradesh & Another’ with the following terms of conditions: to conduct a contemporaneous and rigorous empirical inquiry into the nature, extent and implications of the backwardness in relation to local bodies with respect to BCs in Andhra Pradesh and to undertake comprehensive empirical assessment for the purpose of determining and specifying the proportion of reservations to be provided to them strictly in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution and adherence to the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in the given judgments.
The G.O. said that the Dedicated Commission submitted its report with necessary recommendations regarding the provision of reservation to BCs local body-wise in due compliance with the triple test mandate laid down by the Supreme Court and other constitutional provisions after conducting a rigorous empirical inquiry into the nature and extent of backwardness of BCs on the basis of the Unified Family Survey, data collected from the Ward and Village Secretariats Department, National Family Health Survey, reports of various commissions, records of Panchayat Raj & Rural Development and Municipal Administration & Urban Development Departments, Census of India etc.
The G.O. mentioned that while implementing the recommendations of the Dedicated Commission, it should also be scrupulously ensured that Articles 243T was complied with, and that the population arrived at by the Commission based on empirical and contemporaneous data from the Unified Family Survey and Ward and Village Secretariats data be taken as the norm for providing reservation to the BCs.
Published – October 11, 2026 06:03 am IST
