Why Odisha's BJD is Demanding a 27% Reservation for SEBC Students

In a significant political move, the BJD staged a protest in Bhubaneswar demanding a 27% reservation for SEBC students in higher education. This demonstration comes in response to the BJP government's recent announcement of an 11.25% reservation, which has faced criticism from both BJD and Congress. The BJD argues that the current reservation is inadequate and does not include crucial fields like medical and engineering. The situation has sparked a heated debate on social justice and equity in Odisha's educational system, with both parties exchanging accusations over past governance. As the political landscape evolves, the demand for a fair reservation policy remains at the forefront of discussions.
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Why Odisha's BJD is Demanding a 27% Reservation for SEBC Students

BJD Protests for SEBC Reservation in Odisha


Bhubaneswar: On Wednesday, members of the opposition party BJD gathered outside the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar to advocate for a 27% reservation for students from the Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBCs) in Odisha.


A delegation from BJD, which included various MPs, MLAs, and senior party figures along with students, met with Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati. They presented a memorandum urging him to intervene and safeguard the constitutional rights of the OBCs, known as SEBCs in the state.


The protest was organized in response to the recent announcement by the state’s BJP government, which proposed an 11.25% reservation for SEBC students in higher education, excluding fields like medical, engineering, and technical courses.


Both BJD and Congress have voiced their opposition to this decision, insisting on a 27% quota instead of the proposed 11.25%, and are calling for the inclusion of medical and engineering courses in the reservation.


The ruling BJP clarified that the 11.25% reservation would eventually apply to SEBC students in medical and engineering disciplines, although implementation is still pending.


In their memorandum, BJD emphasized that the BJP's measures were insufficient, stating, "Reservation has not been extended to medical and engineering colleges in the state. Furthermore, we would like to highlight that while the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Scheduled Castes (SCs) constitute 22.5% and 16.25% of Odisha's population respectively, the current reservation in technical, medical, and engineering colleges stands at only 12% for STs and 8% for SCs — totaling merely 20%."


They argued that this falls significantly short of the 38.75% combined reservation that should be allocated in proportion to their population.


BJD pointed out that other states and the central government have already implemented a 27% reservation for OBCs in educational institutions, including technical and professional education, urging Odisha to follow suit to promote equity and social justice.


The state government and ruling BJP criticized BJD's stance, with Odisha's Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj accusing the party of historically opposing SEBCs. He noted that the SEBC Act was repealed during BJD's governance.


"The BJD has historically oppressed the SEBC people. They repealed the SEBC Act. The BJD has no moral right to criticize the BJP as the Mohan Charan Majhi government has, for the first time in the state, made a provision for quota for the SEBC students," the minister stated.


Congress has also planned a two-day protest on Thursday and Friday regarding this issue, criticizing BJD for not implementing the quota during their 24 years in power from 2000 to 2024.


"We welcome the BJD's protest. But they were in power for 24 years and they could have implemented the quota. However, they did not do it then. Now that they have come out in protest, it shows that they have admitted their mistake and are apologetic. So, we support their stance," remarked OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das.


Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal explained that the state government opted for an 11.25% reservation for SEBC students instead of 27% due to a Supreme Court ruling that limits caste-based reservations to a maximum of 50%.


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