Odisha lifts ST, SC reservation, creates 11.25% SEBC quota

The Odisha government has implemented a significant increase in reservation quotas for students from Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, while introducing a new quota for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes in state-run professional and technical education. The new policy, which takes effect from the 2026-27 academic session, was formally notified on Tuesday.

Under the revised framework, the reservation for Scheduled Tribe students in professional courses has been raised from 12 percent to 22.5 percent. The quota for Scheduled Caste students has been increased from 8 percent to 16.25 percent. For the first time, an 11.25 percent reservation has been created for students belonging to the SEBC category, who previously had no quota in this educational sector.

The decision, originally approved by the state cabinet on April 4, was directed for immediate implementation by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Officials stated the move aligns reservation in professional education with the existing structure for government employment and general higher education courses, such as BA, BSc, and BCom programmes, where similar quotas are already in place.