Odisha Reserves 11.25 Per Cent Of Seats For SEBC Category In Higher Education

NDTV

15-05-2025

Bhubaneswar, May 14: The Odisha government on Wednesday decided to reserve 11.25 per cent of seats for the students belonging to the Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC), taking the total ratio of quota in education to 50 per cent in the state.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
"Our government, within 11 months of its tenure, has given justice to the students belonging to the SEBC category," Majhi said.
Though the SEBC candidates were earlier 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.
Majhi said the initiative ensures uniform implementation of reservation in admission for students belonging to ST (22.5 per cent), SC (16.25 per cent), SEВС (11.25 per cent), persons with disability (5 per cent) and ex-servicemen (one per cent) in institutions under the state government.
The decision is taken in line with National Education Policy 2020, the chief minister said, adding that the move aims to promote access, equity, and inclusion, increase the gross enrolment ratio, and enhance opportunities for marginalized and disadvantaged communities in Odisha.
However, the opposition BJD and Congress demanded at least 27 per cent reservation for the SEBC or OBC students in the education sector, including the medical and engineering courses.
Senior BJD leader Arun Kumar Sahoo said, "The state government has not provided the reservation for the OBC students in medical and engineering courses. We demand the government to implement it immediately." If the reservation system is implemented in the medical and engineering courses, then only the SC, ST and OBC students can benefit, Sahoo said.
"At least 27 per cent reservation should be provided to the OBC students. After bringing an amendment to prevailing law, the reservation should be enhanced to 54 per cent. The SC and ST should also get the reservation as per their population," the BJD leader demanded.
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.
Despite repeated demands, the BJP government is playing with the future of the SC, ST and OBC people, who comprise 94 per cent of the state's population, he said.
The Cabinet also approved five other proposals including merger of the state-sponsored Mamata scheme with the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).
The scheme will be named Mamata-PMMVY. Earlier, beneficiaries used to get Rs 10,000 for the birth of a girl child under Mamata Yojana. Now, they will get Rs 12,000, the chief minister said.
Beneficiaries will receive Rs 10,000 for the birth of a boy child under MAMATA-PMMVY. Women from PVTG community will be given Rs 12,000 for the birth of a girl child and Rs 10,000 for the birth of a boy for all live births, he stated.
Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers, who used to get Rs 200 and Rs 100 respectively as incentive earlier, will now receive Rs 250 and Rs 150, Majhi said.
In the next five years, the expenditure on Mamata-PMMVY would be about Rs 2,670 crore, he said.
The state has also decided to construct a barrage in Mayurbhanj district at a cost of Rs 97.67 crore. The work is planned to be completed in 30 months, the CM said.
The barrage would be built across the river Khairibhandan near village Analabeni in Jashipur block to provide assured kharif irrigation in the drought-prone region, inhabited mostly by backward, weaker and tribal population, he added.