Hyderabad, March 18 -- The Telangana assembly on Monday passed two bills to hike the reservation for other backward classes in education, employment and local bodies to 42%, fulfilling a major campaign promise based on the recently concluded caste survey but also triggering controversy over the breached 50% cap on caste-based reservations.

The two bills -- Telangana Backward Classes (reservation of seats in rural and urban local bodies) Bill, 2025 and the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointments or posts in the services under the state) Bill, 2025 -- were passed through a voice vote, after a brief discussion.

The assembly also passed the Telang...