By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has welcomed the historic decision of the state cabinet to bring reforms in the education sector of Odisha and provide social justice. Shri Pradhan said that the decision to increase the reservation limit for admission to medical, engineering, agriculture, other higher education and allied technological courses is a historic step towards fulfilling the dreams of the talents belonging to the lower class of the society.
Shri Pradhan thanked the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister of the state Shri Mohan Charan Majhi for this benevolent decision. Shri Pradhan said that the reservation for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students for enrollment in medical, engineering, agriculture and allied technological education courses in Odisha has been increased from 12% to 22.50% and for Scheduled Caste (AC) students from 8% to 16.25%. For the first time in the state, the state cabinet has approved the provision of 11.25% reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) students.
Shri Pradhan further said that providing social justice is the cornerstone of the Modi government’s governance. Providing equal opportunities, rights and a dignified life to every section of the society is the priority of our government. Inspired by the motto of the Hon’ble Prime Minister ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, this decision of the Odisha government reflects the ‘Antyoday Sankalp’ or the commitment to the development of the people in the last row of the society of the double engine government. This historic decision will empower the talented talents of the last section of the society and will be a major means of fulfilling the dreams of studying medicine and engineering of students from ordinary poor families of the state. Similarly, the Deputy Chief Minister of the state Shri K.V. Singhdeo, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Development Minister Shri Nityanand Gand, Health Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, Higher Education Minister Shri Suryavansi Suraj and Technical Education Minister Shri Sampada Swain have expressed their gratitude to everyone associated with the department for this decision.
It is noteworthy that Shri Pradhan had written to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on August 6, 2025, proposing to implement 11.25% reservation for SEBC/OBC students in medical and technical educational institutions under the state government and increasing the reservation to 16.25% for SCs and 22.50% for STs in medical education. On April 17, 2025, Shri Pradhan had also written to Shri Majhi on providing reservation in jobs and education to SEBCs and OBCs. Apart from this, Shri Pradhan had also written to the then Chief Minister on December 31, 2020, January 15, 2020 and July 25, 2019, requesting to increase reservation in educational institutions and government jobs for OBCs and SEBCs.
It is to be noted that, on the request of Union Minister Shri Pradhan, on May 14, 2025, the Odisha State Cabinet approved the reservation of 11.25% seats in the education sector (higher education and higher secondary education) for the students of SEBC category for the first time in the state.
