In a major development, the Odisha government has approved 11.25% reservation for SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backwards Classes) in higher educational institutions admissions from the academic year 2025-26. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on May 14. This move has been taken in line with the National Education Policy 2020, which aims to promote access, equity, and inclusion in higher education, increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio and enhancing opportunities for marginalised and disadvantaged communities in Odisha.
Earlier, SEBC candidates were getting reservation in jobs (11.25 per cent), there was no provision in education for which the opposition BJD and Congress were making demands both inside the Assembly and outside.
Briefing reporters, the chief minister said that it is a landmark decision of the government to introduce an 11. 25 per cent reservation in admission for students belonging to SEBC in universities, state government and aided higher secondary and higher education institutions from the academic year 2025-26.
Historic decision, says Odisha Minister Suryabanshi Suraj
Odisha Minister Suryabanshi Suraj says, "A historic decision has been taken by the cabinet yesterday...All SEBC (Socially and Economically Backward Classes) students will benefit from this during admissions...Those who are questioning this do not have the right to question at all...We are implementing this 35 years after the Mandal Commission came into existence. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had written to the then CM and current LoP (Naveen Patnaik) several times and held discussions with him but they were not doing it. They were providing 0% reservation...We have implemented this for social justice. BJP stands for the SC, ST and all backward communities in society. They are for all sections of society...
Congress and BJD demand 27 per cent reservation for SEBC or OBC students
State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das also said that the government should reconsider the decision, otherwise it would face protests across Odisha.
“The government needs to provide 27 per cent reservation to the OBC students. The government has not made any change in the admission into medical and technical education courses,” Das said.
BJD MLA Dr Arun Kumar Sahoo says, "Yesterday, the BJP-led Odisha Government took a decision in the cabinet meeting to give 11.25% reservation to the SEBC or OBC students...But our demand was that in the engineering and medical studies, they should be given a reservation, which they have not given. My first question to the Govt, in plus 2 and plus 3 and other sections, the seats are lying vacant. If the seats are lying vacant, then where is the question of reservation to give the SC-ST students and OBC students?...We have demanded 27% reservation for OBC students. In the higher education studies, though the number or percentage of the SC-ST is 38.75%, they are given 20% (reservation). Right now, they declared to give 38.75% to SC-ST students in general studies where the seats are lying vacant. This is a total cheating...".
No reservation for medial and engineering seats
Speaking to news agency ANI, Congress leader Srikant Jena says, " Cabinet has decided to give 11.25% reservation for SEBC, only in general education not in technical education, the demand was for technical education. Odisha govt is silent on that. Same is the case with SC and ST students, they are not getting beyond 20% of reservation in technical education. What is the point? Without giving reservation, in medical, engineering and other technical fields of education..."