- Odisha revises its education reservation policy, increasing quotas for SC and ST while introducing SEBC reservation for the first time
- The move significantly boosts seats in medical and engineering courses, aligning quotas more closely with population share
- The policy remains within the 50% cap set by the Supreme Court of India, positioning it as a major step toward inclusive education reforms
Odisha has made headlines with a major overhaul of its reservation policy in education, a move that is already being seen as a significant shift in medical and technical education in India. The decision, taken by the Government of Odisha under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, sharply increases quotas for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) while introducing reservation for Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) for the first time.
The revised policy raises Scheduled Tribes reservation in Odisha to 22.5% from 12% and Scheduled Castes reservation in Odisha to 16.25% from 8%. Alongside this, an 11.25% quota has been rolled out for SEBC reservation in Odisha, bringing a new segment of students into the fold of professional course admissions in India.
This change will directly impact admissions across universities, engineering colleges, medical institutions, polytechnics, and ITIs, covering both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The government says the revision reflects long-standing demands to align quotas with population share, especially as STs make up over 22% and SCs over 17% of the state’s population.
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The numbers highlight the scale of the shift. In medical courses, ST seats will jump from 290 to 545, while SC seats will increase from 193 to 393 out of 2,421 total seats. In engineering, ST seats are set to cross 10,000, nearly doubling from previous figures, while SC seats will also see a substantial rise. This marks a major expansion in engineering and medical seats in Odisha.
Despite the increase, the state has kept total reservations within the 50% ceiling mandated by the Supreme Court of India, ensuring compliance with national legal guidelines.
The move is rapidly gaining attention as a bold step toward inclusive education policy in India, with potential ripple effects across other states. As competition for higher education in India intensifies, Odisha’s decision could reshape access and representation in some of the country’s most sought-after professional courses.
