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Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BJD, BJP clash over backward class reservation in Odisha
1 2 Bhubaneswar: The battle over the backward class quota intensified in Odisha on Wednesday as the opposition BJD demanded a 27% reservation, matching the central govt's OBC quota. The BJD's demonstration near Raj Bhawan drew immediate criticism from the BJP, which accused the regional party of political posturing after remaining inactive on the issue during its long tenure in power. The face-off comes in the wake of the state govt's recent implementation of an 11.25% quota for socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs) in general undergraduate and postgraduate courses from this academic year. This development occurred a day after state BJP president Manmohan Samal announced that a similar quota would soon be extended to medical and technical courses. In a memorandum addressed to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, the BJD demanded the implementation of a minimum of 27% reservation for SEBC/other backward class (OBC) students across all educational institutions in Odisha, including higher education, technical education (engineering and medical colleges), and vocational institutions. The BJD also sought to increase the existing reservation percentages for ST and SC communities in technical and professional courses to 38.75% to align with their actual demographic representation, as is already followed in general higher education. The quota for SCs and STs in medical and technical education currently totals 20%, including 12% for STs and 8% for SCs, while it is 38.75% in general courses. BJD MLA Arun Sahoo said the recent govt decision regarding the 11.25% reservation for SEBC students in higher educational institutions is inadequate and lacks comprehensive implementation. "While the Central govt and several other states have already implemented a 27% reservation for OBCs across educational institutions, Odisha must follow suit to uphold the principles of equity, social justice, and constitutional responsibility," he said. Countering the BJD, higher education minister Suraj Suryabanshi said the BJD remained anti-backward classes and anti-SCs and STs throughout its long 24 years of being in power. "It did nothing. However, when the BJP govt has made a good start, the BJD has started preaching. The regional party has no such moral rights," he said. Suraj pointed out that when the Orissa high court in Dec 2021 ruled that there couldn't be a quota for backward classes in panchayat elections in the absence of empirical data of their population, the BJD govt happily ended the quota instead of taking steps to collect their data and implement the reservation. In a similar situation, the BJP govt in Madhya Pradesh, then led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, met the pre-requisites of collecting population data by postponing the panchayat elections, he said.
Hans India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Oppn shedding crocodile tears over quota: Samal
Bhubaneswar: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress party for targeting the BJP government while failing to take any concrete steps towards reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) during their rule. Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal said that the Opposition parties have no ethics to speak on the State government over reservations to Socially and Educationally Backwards Classes (SEBC). Samal alleged that the Opposition parties are only shedding 'crocodile tears' and doing 'drama' over the issue of SEBC/OBC reservation. Condemning the Opposition for the call to hold agitation over the issue, Samal said: 'Why did not Congress or BJD implement the reservation for OBCs during their rule. They have no ethics to speak on OBC reservation when their leaders in the past spoke against reservation for OBCs and even went to the Supreme Court. What was the problem in implementing 11.25 per cent reservation of SEBC/OBCs, and why did they not do it? They committed a social crime, they ignored them (OBCs). They are only shedding crocodile tears.' Samal also revealed that the process is on to ensure 11.25 per cent reservation of students of SEBC categories in medical and technical education and other professional courses as well. He also said that within just 11 months of coming to power, the BJP government made a historic decision by announcing 11.25 per cent reservation for SEBCs/OBCs in the higher education sector. He said the BJP has fulfilled its promise to provide the backward classes their lawful rights. 'Biju Babu, in whose name the Biju Janata Dal has been formed, was the first chief minister of the country who went to the Supreme Court against the reservation of the backward classes. When the Mandal Commission report was presented in Parliament, Rajiv Gandhi, who was the leader of the Opposition then, opposed it. Both parties are frustrated as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi are taking various steps for the upliftment of the backward classes,' added Samal. The Odisha BJP president also stated that a decision has been taken by PM Modi to carry out a caste census, which will soon start in the State as well. Mohan Majhi-led BJP government on May 14 had announced 11.25 per cent reservation for the students of Socially and Educationally Backwards Classes (SEBC)/OBCs categories in admission to higher education courses in Odisha. The decision of the State government sparked controversy with Opposition BJD and Congress targeting the State government, calling the decision a betrayal of OBCs, who constitute 54 per cent of the total population in the State. The Opposition parties also took a dig at the BJP for excluding medical, engineering and other professional courses. The BJD has announced to hold a protest rally before the Raj Bhavan on May 21, demanding 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher education, including medical, engineering and professional courses. The Congress also declared to hold a State-wide protest over the issue.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Govt committed to 11.25% quota for SEBC in medical, tech colleges: Samal
Bhubaneswar: BJP is committed to providing for (SEBC) in medical and technical institutions across the state, marking a significant step towards fulfilling a pre-election promise, party's state unit president Manmohan Samal said here on Tuesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A ddressing a news conference, Samal said the govt would soon decide on expanding the reservation benefits after it approved a similar quota for admission in general undergraduate and postgraduate courses on May 14. "This is just the beginning of our commitment to ensuring constitutional rights for backward classes," Samal said, while criticising the stance of opposition parties on backward classes' welfare. Samal accused both BJD and Congress of neglecting backward classes during their respective tenures. He particularly questioned BJD's handling of a 2017 Supreme Court case regarding the 50% reservation cap, stating, "While the BJD govt spent crores on lawyers for mining cases, they remained silent on OBC reservation matters." Samal's statement comes a day before BJD plans a demonstration demanding 27% reservation of seats for the SEBC students. Samal said though there is a provision of a 27% quota for other backward classes (OBCs) nationally, the 11.25% cap has been set in Odisha, complying with the SC guidelines under which the overall quota can't exceed 50%, and the state already has a 38.75% quota for SCs and STs together. Samal said the BJP will fulfil all its manifesto promises. "While 11 of the 21 promises were fulfilled, the remaining 10 will be done within another six months," he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On the BJP promise of returning chit fund money to duped investors, Samal said the process is very much on, and the same would be definitely provided to 100% of the investors. He blamed the previous BJD govt for the delay, claiming crucial papers were misplaced. Responding to Samal's statement on the reservation for backward classes, BJD MLA Arun Sahoo said the BJP has responded to BJD's demand for this quota, which is a welcome move. "However, BJP has been traditionally opposed to backward classes' interests since the Mandal Commission days in the 1990s. Only time will tell if they will walk the talk," he said. Former Union minister and Congress member Srikant Jena said the quota for backward classes should be a minimum of 27% both in education and jobs. "The govt should approach the SC and convince it of the situation in Odisha, which has a high percentage of SC, ST and backward class population," he said. On Samal's promise to return chit fund money, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the BJP has already failed as it promised to return the money within days of forming the govt. "The BJP chief is trying to mislead people by passing the blame onto BJD," he said.
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
BJD, Cong shedding crocodile tears over quota: Samal
Bhubaneswar: The BJP in Odisha on Tuesday said it is in favour of quota for students of the Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC) in medical, engineering and other technical institutions in the State and 11.25 per cent of seats would soon be reserved for them. The BJP's statement came a day before the Opposition BJD is scheduled to organise a dharna demanding 27 per cent reservation of seats for the SEBC students. Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal accused the BJD and the Congress of shedding crocodile tears over the demand for reservations for SEBC. Samal said although the BJD had ruled the State for 24 years and the Congress had also been in power for a significant period, neither party took concrete steps to provide reservations to the backward classes in Odisha. Recently, the BJP government had decided to reserve 11.25 per cent reservation for students belonging to the SEBCs in higher education.
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Will extend SEBC quota to medical, engineering courses too, says Odisha BJP
BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Manmohan Samal on Tuesday said the government is taking steps to extend the 11.25% reservation for students from the Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) in medical, technical and engineering courses. Samal, who was responding to criticism by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over the implementation of the 11.25% quota that does not cover medical and technical courses, questioned why the previous BJD and Congress governments hadn't notified the SEBC (which is interchangeably used for OBC in Odisha) quota for admission to educational institutions. 'Though Congress and BJD were in government for a long time, they could not implement it. BJP is consistently in support of the Mandal Commission. We announced 11.25 % reservation in higher education this month. We would soon extend the same to professional courses like MBBS, BDS, B Tech, Diploma, B. Sc (Agriculture), MCA and other such courses,' Samal told a press conference at the BJP state headquarters in Bhubaneswar. On May 14, the Mohan Charan Majhi cabinet cleared a proposal for 11.25% quota for SEBC studentsfor admission to state public universities and government-aided institutions under various departments. BJD and Congress leaders questioned why the decision did not cover admission to technical and medical courses. 'Without admission in MBBS and engineering colleges, the quota would serve no purpose as getting seats in general education institutions is not an issue. There are numerous vacant seats in general undergraduate and postgraduate courses, rendering the reservation less meaningful,' said BJD legislator Arun Sahoo. The BJD plans a massive protest in the state on Wednesday to demand 27% reservation of seats for the SEBC students. Odisha has 1,600 MBBS seats and 4,000 engineering seats in government colleges. Of these, 12 % seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe students and another 8% for Scheduled Caste students. If the government extends the 11.25 % reservation of SEBC students in such colleges, the total reservation would be 31.25 %. State SC/ST minister Nityanand Gond who was also present at the BJP press conference on Wednesday said the government was considering whether it should increase the number of seats in government medical and engineering colleges in view of the increase in reservation. Congress leader Srikant Jena welcomed the idea of extending SEBC quotas to professional courses but stressed that 11.25% falls short of the 27% recommended by the Mandal Commission. 'Odisha is the only state which did not implement the Mandal Commission recommendations and now the state government does not seem to be in a mood to implement it fully. At the same time, the SC/ST quota should go up to 38% in proportion with their population in the state,' said Jena. The Odisha BJP president said opposition BJD and Congress did not implement SEBC reservation in higher education institutions for decades but were trying to confuse people when the BJP had started the process Samal said the BJP will keep all its promises made in the 2024 manifesto. 'The caste census would be conducted for the benefit of backward classes. The state government and the party are working in coordination to ensure justice to SEBC students,' he said.
