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

BJD Protests for Enhanced Reservation in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: On Wednesday, the opposition party BJD organized a protest outside the Raj Bhavan, advocating for a 27% reservation for students from Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBCs) in Odisha.

A group from BJD, which included Members of Parliament, Members of the Legislative Assembly, senior party officials, and students, approached Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati. They presented a memorandum urging him to safeguard the constitutional rights of the OBCs, known as SEBCs in the state. This demonstration followed the recent announcement by the BJP-led state 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 the government's decision, insisting on a 27% quota instead of the proposed 11.25%, and are calling for the inclusion of medical and engineering courses in this reservation. The ruling BJP has indicated that the 11.25% quota will eventually apply to SEBC students in medical and engineering disciplines, although this has yet to be enacted.

In their memorandum, BJD criticized the BJP government's measures as insufficient. They noted that the current reservation for STs and SCs in technical and medical colleges is only 12% and 8%, respectively, which totals a mere 20%. This is significantly lower than the 38.75% reservation that should be allocated based on their population proportions. The BJD highlighted that the Central government and various other states have already implemented a 27% reservation for OBCs in educational institutions, including technical and professional fields.