BHUBANESWAR: Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for approving 11.25 per cent reservation for socially and economically backward classes (SEBC) students in higher education institutions in Odisha .
Welcoming the decision of the state cabinet, Pradhan, also a prominent OBC leader, said this historic move will empower the SEBC community and promote social justice. The Union minister who has long been demanding implementation of reservation for OBCs in education during the previous BJD government, said SEBCs constitute over 52 per cent of Odisha’s population.
“This initiative aligns with the National Education Policy’s focus on prioritising education for backward classes, contributing to a developed Odisha and India. The reservation will be implemented in various courses across government universities, institutions and departments starting from the 2025-26 academic year,” Pradhan wrote on his X handle.
The Union minister emphasised that the Modi government’s guiding principle is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas’. Despite long-standing demands for reservation for the SEBC community, the previous government had neglected this issue. The recent Union cabinet approval for a caste-based census is a historic step. Against this backdrop, the Odisha government’s decision to provide reservation for SEBC students is commendable, he said and thanked the state for this historic decision.
Pradhan had written to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on April 17, highlighting the need for reservation for SEBC and OBC communities in jobs and education.