Bhubaneswar, June 2: The Odisha government has made a significant decision to increase reservations for Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) students in technical and professional education. This new reservation policy will take effect from the 2026-27 academic session, benefiting students seeking admission in various professional courses, including engineering and medicine.
On Tuesday, the Department of ST and SC Development, Minority and Backward Classes Welfare issued a formal notification regarding this initiative. This decision is based on a resolution made by the state cabinet on April 4. Chief Minister Mohan Chara Majhi directed the department to implement this policy promptly.
The state government asserts that this move addresses a long-standing demand for adequate representation of ST, SC, and SEBC communities in professional education. According to officials, this issue had been pending for years, but the new government has acted swiftly within two years of taking office.
Scheduled Tribes make up 22.85% of Odisha’s total population, while Scheduled Castes account for 17.13%. Although official figures for the SEBC population are not available, it is considered significant within the state.
Previously, general undergraduate courses such as BA, BCom, and BSc had reservations of 22.5% for ST, 16.25% for SC, and 11.5% for SEBC. In contrast, professional courses like engineering and medicine offered only 12% reservation for ST students and 8% for SC students, with no reservations for SEBC.
Under the new policy, reservations for technical and professional courses have been revised: ST students will receive 22.5% (up from 12%), SC students will receive 16.25% (up from 8%), and for the first time, SEBC students will receive 11.25% reservation.
This new arrangement will apply to all universities, affiliated colleges, educational institutions, ITIs, and polytechnic institutes across the state. It encompasses a wide range of professional courses, including engineering, technology, management, computer applications, medicine, surgery, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health sciences, veterinary science, Ayurveda, homeopathy, agriculture, architecture, planning, and cinematic arts and technology.
The government believes this decision will provide greater opportunities for underprivileged students in higher technical and professional education, ultimately strengthening their participation in the job market.
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