Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday proposed to brand the Telangana caste census and the broader initiative of social justice as the “RaRe” model — believed to be an acronym for ‘Rahul-Revanth Model’ — in case of objections from anyone to using the term “Telangana model.”
Addressing 130 Congress MPs at Indira Bhavan in Delhi on Telangana’s caste census, Revanth Reddy explained that the RaRe model represents a new approach to equitable governance, rooted in caste census-based policy formulation.
Revanth Reddy announced that the Telangana government would increase reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in proportion to their population, based on the recently conducted caste census.
This follows the state’s move to raise reservations for Backward Classes (BCs) to 42 per cent in education, employment and local bodies.
Revanth Reddy urged Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to raise the issue in Parliament and press the Centre to approve the pending 42 per cent BC quota Bills. “You fight in Parliament, and I will fight on the streets of Delhi at Jantar Mantar to achieve 42 per cent quota for BCs,” he declared.
Revanth Reddy credited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the caste census, stating, “After joining the Congress, Rahul bhayya has become my soulmate. The credit for the caste census goes to him, as he had promised it during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2023.”
He also shared a personal moment, displaying a letter from Sonia Gandhi praising Telangana’s caste census effort. “Receiving her appreciation is equal to a lifetime achievement award for me, a Nobel Prize and an Oscar,” Revanth Reddy explained.
Highlighting the speed and depth of the survey, Revanth Reddy noted that the process began on February 4, 2024, and within a year, the data was collected and presented in the State Assembly on February 4, 2025. He declared that February 4 would henceforth be observed as “Social Justice Day” in Telangana.
The Chief Minister described the caste census as one of the most comprehensive surveys in the country, covering social, economic, educational, and political dimensions. According to him, the collected data spans a staggering 88 crore pages.
Revanth Reddy came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP and RSS alleging that they were against caste census. He accused Modi of politicising his caste identity.
“Modi wasn’t born an OBC — he was legally converted to OBC. Modi added his caste to the OBC list in Gujarat after he became the Chief Minister. He uses it for political mileage without doing anything for the OBC community,” he charged.
Revanth Reddy also highlighted the uniqueness of Telangana’s initiative, claiming it was the first state in India to conduct a caste census since Independence. “Rahul Gandhi has committed that once the Congress comes to power nationally, a caste census will be conducted across the country,” he said.
He reiterated Telangana’s commitment to BC welfare and stressed that once the Centre approves the pending BC reservation bills, the state will proceed with local body elections. The RaRe model, he said, is not just a Telangana initiative but a template for the nation’s future in social justice.
