Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday criticized the previous Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) governments in Odisha for denying reservation in jobs and education to students belonging to the Socio-Economically Backward Classes (SEBC).
Responding to a media query in Bhubaneswar, Pradhan stated that a mock survey was conducted under the guise of a court case, which was used as an excuse to avoid implementing reservations.
He pointed out that even after the implementation of the Mandal Commission’s recommendations in 1990, SEBC students in Odisha were denied their rightful reservations.
“For 35 years, Congress and BJD were in power in the state, but failed to provide constitutional rights to backward classes through reservations in education and employment,” he said.
Odisha, he noted, is the only state in the country where the SEBC list was not recognized, citing an ongoing court case as justification. As a result, SEBC students were deprived of their constitutionally mandated rights.
Pradhan added that Odisha was the only state where social justice was blatantly ignored. However, with the formation of the “double engine” government, the promises made during the elections have begun to materialize.
He expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for ensuring that SEBC students receive reservation in higher education.
Reiterating the Bharatiya Janata Party’s commitment to social justice, Pradhan clarified that the Supreme Court’s directive limits the total reservation quota in a state to 50 percent.
He explained that after accounting for all other existing reservations, only 11.25 percent remained available.
On Wednesday, the Odisha State Cabinet approved this 11.25 percent reservation for SEBC students in higher secondary and higher education — a move Pradhan hailed as a testament to the double-engine government’s dedication to social justice.
The Union Minister also mentioned that he had previously written to Chief Minister Majhi, urging him to extend reservation benefits to SEBC students in higher, technical, and medical education.
While the Cabinet has now approved SEBC reservation in higher education, Pradhan assured that similar provisions for technical and medical education will soon be implemented.
