Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday slammed the previous Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) governments in Odisha for depriving Socio-Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) students of their constitutional right to reservation in education and jobs.
Responding to a media query, Pradhan alleged that past administrations conducted a mock survey under the pretence of a court case, deliberately avoiding the implementation of reservations. He pointed out that Odisha is the only state where the SEBC list was not officially recognised, citing legal hurdles as justification.
“For 35 years, Congress and BJD were in power but failed to provide backwards-class students the reservations they were entitled to under the Mandal Commission’s recommendations, implemented nationally in 1990,” Pradhan stated.
However, with the establishment of the double-engine BJP government, he assured that election promises on SEBC reservations were finally coming to fruition. On May 14, the Odisha Cabinet approved an 11.25% reservation for SEBC students in higher education—a move Pradhan hailed as a historic victory for social justice.
He extended his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for their commitment to SEBC welfare. Additionally, he expressed confidence that technical and medical education reservations would soon follow this new policy shift.
Pradhan emphasized that the Supreme Court’s reservation cap of 50% influenced the government’s decision, limiting SEBC reservation to 11.25% after considering existing quotas.
Political analysts view this development as a major step toward educational equity in Odisha, marking a shift in governance that prioritizes backward-class welfare.
