Dalit welfare, Mulki rules mark early affirmative action in Hyderabad: SEEPC report

The Mulki Rules functioned as an early form of affirmative action, benefiting Backward Castes and Muslims, who did not come from the elite section of that community, while shielding them from bureaucratic dominance by officials from North India, the SEEPC Survey observed.

A section titled “Measuring Backwardness in Hyderabad State under the Nizams” explains that the rules, introduced in 1919, mandated continuous residence of 15 years for eligibility in State employment and higher education. Though not explicitly framed along caste lines, they operated as a mechanism of local preference, widening access for socially and educationally disadvantaged groups within Hyderabad State, the survey stated. The rules, in effect, prioritised local populations in opportunities tied to State structures.