Bhubaneswar, 14 May: The Odisha government on Wednesday decided to reserve 11.25 percent seats for students related to social and economically backward classes (SEBC), which took up to 50 percent of the total ratio of quota in education in the state.
The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Maji.
“Our government, within 11 months of its tenure, has given justice to students belonging to the SEBC category,” said Majhi.
Although SEBC candidates were earlier getting reservation in jobs (11.25 percent), there was no provision in education, for which the opposition BJD and Congress were demanding within both the assembly and outside.
Briefing reporters, the Chief Minister said that the government has a historic decision to start 11.25 percent reservation in admission for students related to universities, state government and supported higher secondary and higher education institutions from the educational year 2025-26.
Maji said that this initiative ensures uniform implementation of reservation in admission for students belonging to ST (22.5 percent), SC (16.25 percent), Seshan (11.25 percent), individuals with disability (5 percent) and pre-service (one percent) in institutions under the state government.
The decision is in line with the National Education Policy 2020, the Chief Minister said, saying that the move aims to promote reach, equity and inclusion, increase gross enrollment ratio, and to increase the opportunities of marginalized communities in Odisha and deprived communities.
However, the opposition BJD and the Congress demanded at least 27 percent reservation for SEBC or OBC students in the education sector including medical and engineering courses.
Senior BJD leader Arun Kumar Sahu said, “The state government has not provided reservation for OBC students in medical and engineering courses. We demand the government to implement it immediately.” If the reservation system is implemented in medical and engineering courses, only SC, ST and OBC students can benefit, SAHOO said.
The BJD leader demanded, “At least 27 percent reservation should be provided to OBC students.
State Congress President Bhakta Charan Das also said that the government should reconsider the decision, otherwise it will face protests in Odisha.
“The government needs to provide 27 percent reservation to OBC students. The government has not made any changes in admission to medical and technical education courses,” Das said.
Despite repeated demands, the BJP government is playing with the future of the people of SC, ST and OBC, including 94 percent of the state’s population, said.
The cabinet also approved five other proposals, including the merger of the state-proposed Mamta Yojana, including Prime Minister Metro Vandana Yojana (PMMVV) of the Center.
The scheme will be named Mamta-PMMVV. Earlier, beneficiaries used to get Rs 10,000 for the birth of a girl under Mamta Yojana. Now, they will get Rs 12,000, the Chief Minister said.
The beneficiaries will receive Rs 10,000 for the birth of a boy of a boy under Mmata-PMMVV. He said that women of PVTG community would be given Rs 12,000 for the birth of a girl and Rs 10,000 for the birth of a boy for all living births.
Maji said that Anganwadi worker and Anganwadi assistant, who used to get Rs 200 and Rs 100 respectively as an incentive, will now get Rs 250 and Rs 150.
In the next five years, the expenditure on Mamta-PMVV will be around Rs 2,670 crore, he said.
The state has also decided to construct a barrage in Mayurbhanj district at a cost of Rs 97.67 crore. CM said that the work is planned to be completed in 30 months.
He said that the barrage will be built across the Khairibhandan river near village Annebeni in Jashipur block, providing assured kharif irrigation in the dried area, which is mostly backward, weak and inhabited by tribal population.
(This story is not edited by NDTV employees and auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
