Telangana Cabinet Clears Key Welfare and Reform Bills

The Telangana Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy , on Monday approved a series of landmark decisions , covering measures from curbing caste discrimination in educational institutions to strengthening social security for the elderly and welfare for gig workers .

The government decided to introduce the ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ to eliminate caste discrimination in higher educational institutions. A Group of Ministers (GoM) has been constituted to draft the legislation, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka , with ministers Damodar Rajanarsimha , Duddilla Sridhar Babu , Uttam Kumar Reddy , and Ponnam Prabhakar as members. The move gains significance in the backdrop of the 2016 suicide of PhD scholar Rohith Vemula at the University of Hyderabad, which had sparked nationwide outrage.

The Cabinet also approved a bill mandating strict action against individuals who neglect their elderly parents. Under the proposal, 15% of salary or up to ₹10,000 (whichever is lower) will be deducted from the salaries of public representatives, government employees, or private employees failing to support their parents, with the amount to be directly transferred to the parents .

To curb content that disturbs social harmony, the Cabinet cleared the ‘Telangana Hate Speech and Hate Crime Prevention Bill, 2026’ , aimed at preventing incendiary posts and speeches that could trigger unrest and safeguarding communal harmony .

In a major step for labour welfare, the Cabinet approved the ‘Telangana Platform-Based Gig Workers Act, 2026’ , benefiting around 4.2 lakh gig and platform workers , including delivery personnel and drivers. The Act proposes setting up a Welfare Board and Fund , along with a registration system to provide workers with legal recognition and social security .

The government also decided to expedite the process of taking over the 69-km Phase-1 Hyderabad Metro , currently operated by L&T , with the move expected to cost approximately ₹15,000 crore , including liabilities.

The Cabinet approved the comprehensive caste census report submitted by the Justice Sudarshan Reddy Committee and constituted a sub-committee for further study. It also cleared the ‘Telangana Advocate Protection Bill’ to address attacks on lawyers and ensure their safety.

The government stated that these decisions are aimed at advancing social justice, women’s safety, and empowerment of marginalised communities .