Bhubaneswar, April 5: The Odisha Cabinet has approved significant changes to the Reservation Policy for admissions to medical, engineering, and other higher and technical education courses across the state. This decision was made on Saturday and aims to enhance educational opportunities for marginalized communities.
Under the new policy, Scheduled Tribes (ST) will receive 22.5% reservation, Scheduled Castes (SC) will get 16.25%, and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) will be allotted 11.25% reservation in admissions.
The revised reservation policy will be applicable to all state universities, affiliated colleges, and institutions, including IITs and polytechnics. It encompasses various subjects such as engineering, technology, management, computer applications, medicine, surgery, dental science, nursing, pharmacy, allied health sciences, veterinary science, Ayurveda, homeopathy, agriculture, architecture, planning, and cinematic arts and technology.
Additionally, this policy will apply to all undergraduate and postgraduate programs that offer certificates, diplomas, and degrees as notified by the state government from time to time.
The government noted that despite the ST population being over 22% in Odisha, the reservation for technical, professional, and medical courses had long been limited to 12%. Similarly, the SC population, which constitutes more than 17%, was receiving only 8% reservation. Previously, there was no reservation available for SEBC students. This disparity posed challenges in achieving social justice and equal empowerment.
The statement highlighted that over the past 78 years since independence, numerous movements and demands have been made to secure proportional reservation for these communities, but no government had taken such a step until now.
The government described this initiative as a significant move towards safeguarding educational rights and empowering students from ST, SC, and backward communities, expressing confidence that it will contribute to building a prosperous Odisha.
According to official data, the total number of medical seats at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the state is 2,421. With the implementation of the new policy, ST seats will increase from 290 to 545, while SC seats will rise from 193 to 393. SEBC students will now have 272 reserved seats, which were previously unavailable.
Similarly, out of a total of 44,579 engineering seats in the state, ST seats will increase from 5,349 to 10,030, and SC seats will rise from 3,566 to 7,244. Under the new reservation policy, SEBC students will be allocated 5,015 seats, a significant increase from the previous zero.