The Odisha government last week approved a significant proposal to introduce reservation for the socially and economically backward classes (SEBC) in the state. Beginning this academic session, 11.25 percent of seats will be reserved for SEBC students for admission to public universities as well as state-run higher education institutions under the control of four administrative departments. Reservation has for long been a pain point for the backward classes, who form a sizeable part of Odisha’s population. In 1994, after the Mandal Commission agitation, the state implemented a 27 percent quota in government jobs, which was curtailed to 11.25 percent after the state’s administrative tribunal struck it down. It was later upheld by the Orissa High Court on the basis of the 50 percent cap imposed by the Supreme Court. The scheduled castes and tribes are entitled to reservation of 22.5 percent and 16.25 percent, respectively. The latest policy decision is a milestone considering that the SEBCs will get their due in the education system for the first time. It placates communities that have for long been seeking a 27 percent quota in education and gives the BJP an advantage before the important rural and urban local body elections in 2027. It also aligns with the NDA narrative of social justice and comes weeks after the caste enumeration announced by the Centre.
In terms of symbolism, the decision is well timed as the saffron party wants to be seen as a champion of the other backward classes, which have never been represented at the top echelons of power despite dominance in the state’s population. The BJD had tried to keep the pot on simmer by forming the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes in 2020. Under constant pressure from the opposition, it conducted an SEBC survey in 2023 ahead of the 2024 polls. Though never made public, its report found that just 7.9 percent of SEBC members had college education, whereas a mere 1.6 percent had a professional degree. The introduction of the 11.25 percent quota in undergraduate and postgraduate classes may have been well-intentioned, but the move will have limited success because medical and engineering colleges have been kept outside its scope. Socioeconomic empowerment of the SEBCs will be a reality only when the marginalised communities find their due space in technical and professional education.