Odisha Expands Reservation for STs, SCs, and Introduces OBC Quota in Education

Bhubaneswar, In a significant move, the Odisha government has increased the reservation for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, and for the first time, introduced a quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in medical and technical education.

The cabinet meeting, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, decided to raise the ST quota from 12% to 22.5% and the SC quota from 8% to 16.25%. Additionally, an 11.25% reservation has been established for OBC students, referred to as Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) in Odisha.

This new reservation system will be applicable across universities, affiliated colleges, and educational institutions, including ITIs and polytechnics, for various fields such as engineering, technology, medicine, and agriculture.

Majhi emphasized that despite the ST population being over 22%, their reservation in professional courses was previously capped at 12%. With the updated quota, the number of available medical seats for ST students will rise from 290 to 545. Similarly, the SC quota will increase from 193 to 393 seats.

In engineering, the reserved seats for STs will grow from 5,349 to 10,030, while SC seats will increase from 3,566 to 7,244. For OBC students, this marks the first time they will have access to 515 reserved seats.

Majhi stated, "This initiative is a vital step towards creating a prosperous Odisha." Alongside, a new scheme named 'Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana' will provide beneficiaries with an additional 5 kg of rice per month at no cost for the financial year 2026-27.

Currently, over 32 million individuals benefit from the National Food Security Act in Odisha, and this new scheme will extend support to these families.

The cabinet also approved 14 other proposals from various departments.