Bhubaneswar, June 2 (IANS) The Odisha government on Tuesday announced a significant increase in reservation for students belonging to Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in technical and professional educational courses, including engineering and medicine, effective from the 2026-27 academic session.

The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a statement that a formal memorandum was issued by the Department of Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare.

The decision, which received cabinet approval on April 4, was subsequently announced by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who directed immediate implementation.

“Although several efforts had been made in the past to ensure justice for students belonging to ST, SC, and SEBC communities in the education sector, those attempts had not yielded results. However, within just two years of assuming office, the new government has succeeded in extending this benefit to these communities,” the CMO stated.

According to available data, Scheduled Tribes constitute 22.85 per cent of Odisha’s population, while Scheduled Castes account for 17.13 per cent. The SEBC population is considered substantial, though exact figures are not officially available.

Proportional reservation already exists in government employment and general higher education courses such as BA, BCom, and BSc. Under this system, ST students receive 22.5 per cent reservation, SC students 16.25 per cent, and SEBC students 11.25 per cent.

However, in technical and professional courses such as engineering and medicine, reservations were limited to 12 per cent for ST students and 8 per cent for SC students, with no quota for SEBC students.

Following the cabinet’s decision, reservations for ST students have been increased from 12 per cent to 22.5 per cent, for SC students from 8 per cent to 16.25 per cent, and for SEBC students from 11.25 per cent to 16.25 per cent for the first time.

The revised policy will apply to all universities in the state, their affiliated colleges and institutions, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and polytechnic institutions.

–IANS

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