The administrative classification of Thuluva Vellalars has evolved through successive
Backward Classes commissions in Tamil Nadu, reflecting ongoing debates about their relationship to the
Agamudayar community.
Early commissions (1969-1985) The First Backward Classes Commission (1969-70), chaired by A.N. Sattanathan, encountered contradictory evidence regarding the communities' relationship. While the
Madras District Collector asserted they were distinct castes,
Chengalpattu officials maintained they represented the same community. Despite this unresolved question, the government's 1972 order grouped them together under the entry "Agamudayar including Thuluva Vellala." The Second Backward Classes Commission (1982-85), led by J.A. Ambasankar, later documented that the combined population of Agamudayars and Thuluva Vellalars constituted 3.48% of Tamil Nadu's population (1,741,852 individuals) in the early 1980s. The commission noted both communities were among nine groups that had disproportionately benefited from reservation policies, having "cornered the lion's share" of reserved positions.
Contemporary resolution (2023-2024) The Justice Janarthanan Commission (2023) re-examined this classification, concluding that creating separate entries would not require new data or affect existing benefits, but would address longstanding grievances about misclassification. This recommendation led to the June 2024 government order establishing distinct entries for both communities in the Backward Classes list. The commission emphasized this change represented an administrative correction rather than a new classification, noting that district-level records had consistently documented separate identities for the communities. ==Notable people==