Bhubaneswar: In a significant and contentious policy shift, the Odisha government has announced a substantial increase in reservation quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), along with the introduction of a new quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), referred to as Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBCs) in the state. The decision, taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, is being framed by the government as a step toward social justice. However, it has also triggered a broader debate over its implications for merit, fairness, and the future of competitive education.
Under the revised policy, reservation for ST students has been increased from 12% to 22.5%, while that for SC students has been raised from 8% to 16.25%. Additionally, an 11.25% quota has been introduced for SEBC students, marking their first formal inclusion in reservations within medical and technical education in Odisha. These changes will be implemented across a wide spectrum of institutions, including universities, affiliated colleges, ITIs, polytechnics, and professional courses such as engineering, medicine, management, and allied sciences.
Chief Minister Majhi justified the move by pointing to demographic realities, noting that STs constitute over 22% of Odisha’s population, yet had long been allocated only 12% reservation in professional courses. Similarly, SCs, who account for over 17% of the population, were previously limited to an 8% quota. “We have aligned reservation with population proportions to ensure equitable representation,” he stated.
However, critics argue that such a sharp expansion of quotas risks undermining the principle of meritocracy, particularly in highly competitive fields like medicine and engineering. Concerns have been raised that increasing reservation percentages without a corresponding expansion in total seats could significantly reduce opportunities for students from the general category, intensifying competition and potentially lowering academic benchmarks.
The numbers reflect the scale of the shift. In medical education, out of 2,421 undergraduate and postgraduate seats, the number of seats available to ST students will rise from 290 to 545, while those for SC students will increase from 193 to 393. In engineering, where the state has 44,579 seats, ST reservations will nearly double from 5,349 to 10,030, and SC seats will rise from 3,566 to 7,244. Additionally, 515 seats have now been earmarked for SEBC students, who previously had no reservation in these fields.
Opponents of the policy argue that while social upliftment is a legitimate goal, expanding reservations indefinitely may not be the most effective solution. They suggest that the focus should instead be on improving primary and secondary education, ensuring that disadvantaged students are better prepared to compete on equal footing. Without addressing foundational inequalities, critics say, reservation policies risk becoming a long-term substitute rather than a transitional tool.
There are also concerns about the cumulative impact of reservations across categories. With the inclusion of SEBC quotas, the total reserved percentage approaches a level that some argue may crowd out open competition, raising legal and constitutional questions, particularly in light of the Supreme Court’s 50% cap guideline on reservations, though states have occasionally attempted to justify deviations.
Alongside the reservation changes, the Odisha government also announced the launch of the ‘Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana’ for the financial year 2026-27. Under this scheme, beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) will receive an additional 5 kg of rice per month free of cost. While this move has been welcomed as a welfare measure, some observers see it as part of a broader trend of expanding state support without parallel emphasis on structural reforms.
