Pradhan lauds Odisha nod to 11.25% SEBC quota in medical and engineering colleges

Bhubaneswar: A day after Odisha cabinet gave its nod to increase reservation for marginalised students in medical and technical educational institutions, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said that the decision was a historic step towards empowering talented youth from such sections of society.As per the cabinet decision on Saturday, students belonging to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) will receive 11.25% reservation in medical and technical educational institutions for the first time. Also, reservation for Scheduled Tribes (ST) students has been increased from 12% to 22.50%, while that for Scheduled Castes (SC) has been raised from 8% to 16.25% in medical, engineering and other allied technical education streams.Expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi for approving the long-pending demand, Pradhan said the enhanced reservation would help meritorious students from economically weaker families realise their dreams of pursuing professional courses such as medicine and engineering. “The decision reflects the govt’s commitment to the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and the goal of ‘antyodaya’, aimed at uplifting the last person in society,” he said.

He also thanked deputy CM and agriculture minister K V Singh Deo, SC & ST development minister Nityananda Gond, health minister Mukesh Mahaling, higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj and technical education minister Sampad Swain for the decision.The Union minister had earlier written to the chief minister on multiple occasions, most recently on Aug 6 and April 17, 2025, urging the implementation of reservation for SEBC students and enhancement of quotas for SC and ST categories.

Similar requests also were made between 2019 and 2020 to the then CM Naveen Patnaik.Following his requests, the state cabinet earlier, on May 14, 2025, approved 11.25% reservation for SEBC students in higher and higher secondary education. The latest decision extends this benefit to professional and technical education.