Amaravati, 20 July 2026 — The Chief Minister's Office of Andhra Pradesh announced on Monday that Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu chaired a high-level review at the Secretariat with tribal welfare department officials, reaffirming that the state government gives 'first priority' to tribal rights and that tribal communities have 'no reason for concern.'

Context

The review meeting focused on the welfare and development programmes for people in tribal areas, with particular attention to Government Order Number 3 — a landmark order issued in 2000 during united Andhra Pradesh. CM Naidu reminded officials that GO No. 3 was brought in by his earlier administration to ensure 100 per cent reservations for local tribals in government posts within Scheduled Areas — the Fifth Schedule regions designated for special tribal protection.

The meeting also addressed tribal aspirations on several fronts, including the demand that local people alone should receive jobs in these areas.

Policy Backdrop

GO No. 3 remained in force for nearly two decades, providing an employment shield to indigenous communities in scheduled zones. However, the Supreme Court of India struck it down on 22 April 2020, after the then state government — led by the YSR Congress Party — failed to mount a strong legal defence before the apex court's five-judge constitution bench.

CM Naidu was pointed in his criticism, stating that the previous government 'neglected' the order and did not present 'strong arguments,' leaving two decades of tribal employment benefits without legal cover. He noted that the prior administration did not even respond adequately to the problem after the Supreme Court verdict.

Reservation policies for Scheduled Tribes in Fifth Schedule areas have long faced judicial scrutiny over the tension between protective discrimination and equal-opportunity principles. The 2014 bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh further complicated the legal and administrative landscape, leaving successive governments to navigate legacy orders amid shifting political control.

Stakeholders and Impact

The communities most affected are tribal populations residing in the Scheduled Areas of Andhra Pradesh, who had relied on GO No. 3 for preferential access to local government employment for two decades. The lapse in legal protection since 2020 has left local job aspirants in these regions vulnerable to competition from non-local candidates.

The coalition government — referred to in the post as the 'Kootami' (alliance) government — has signalled it is actively exploring 'all alternative possibilities' to restore the protections that GO No. 3 once guaranteed, while working within the boundaries set by the Supreme Court's clear ruling from the five-member bench.

What's Next

The Naidu administration has indicated it is 'working out' how to deliver justice to tribal communities despite the Supreme Court's unambiguous verdict. Possible routes include a fresh legislative or administrative mechanism, a review petition, or a constitutionally sound alternative order that could withstand judicial scrutiny.

Any new ordinance, legislation, or court petition the coalition government files to restore tribal employment safeguards — and the Supreme Court's subsequent response — will be closely watched by tribal communities, legal experts, and political observers across the state.