Hyderabad: The Independent Expert Working Group report on Telangana’s Socio, Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste (SEEEPC) Survey has found sharp inequalities across communities, concluding that backwardness in the state is unevenly distributed and measurable through a new Composite Backwardness Index (CBI).
The report is based on data collected from 3.55 crore people, covering nearly 97% of Telangana’s population, making it closer to a census than a sample survey. It analysed 242 caste groups using 42 indicators across education, occupation, living standards, land ownership, assets and access to services.
Major Findings
• SCs and STs are three times more backward than General Castes, according to the CBI scores.
• Backward Classes are 2.7 times more backward than General Castes.
• Statewide average CBI score was placed at 81. Higher score means higher backwardness.
135 Castes Above State Average
The report found that 135 out of 242 castes scored above the state average, meaning they are more backward than the average community in Telangana.
These 135 castes account for 67% of the population and include:
• 69 Backward Class castes
• 41 Scheduled Caste castes
• 25 Scheduled Tribe castes
Most and Least Backward Communities
Among all caste groups studied:
• SC Dakkal recorded the highest backwardness score at 116
• Kapu recorded the lowest score at 12
Stark Social Disparities
The report highlighted major differences in education, jobs and living standards:
• Nearly half of Scheduled Caste workers are daily wage labourers, compared to about one-tenth among General Castes.
• 30% of private sector professionals are from General Castes, while only 5% are from Scheduled Tribes, despite similar population share.
• One-third of ST households live without toilet or tap water, compared to just 5% among General Castes.
Welfare Schemes Also Uneven
The report noted that around 30% of welfare expenditure benefits communities that are less backward than the state average, raising questions about targeting of public schemes.
‘No Caste’ Category
Nearly 13.7 lakh people chose “No Caste” or “Others” during the survey. The report said this group ranked among the least backward sections on several development indicators.
Bigger Message
The central conclusion of the report is that not every backward caste is equally backward, and future welfare or reservation policies may need to move beyond broad categories to more specific, data-based targeting.
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Telangana Caste Survey Report Flags Deep Social Gaps; 135 Castes Found More Backward Than State Average
