In a landmark resolution, the Odisha authorities on Saturday (April 4, 2026) enhanced the reservation for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe college students and launched a quota for the Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) in medical and technical education.
The resolution was taken on the cupboard assembly chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar.
“While the quota for the ST students is raised from 12% to 22.50%, it has been enhanced from 8% to 16.25% for SCs. The state government has introduced an 11.25% quota for OBC students, who are known as SEBC in Odisha,” Mr. Majhi advised reporters after the assembly.
He stated this new reservation system can be applied throughout universities, their affiliated faculties and instructional establishments, ITIs and polytechnics in the state in the fields of engineering, know-how, administration, pc functions, medication, surgical procedure, dental, nursing, pharmacy, allied well being sciences, psychiatry, ayurveda, homeopathy, agriculture and allied sciences, structure, planning and cinematic arts.
This new reservation system may even be applied in awarding certificates, diplomas and levels on the undergraduate and postgraduate ranges in some other programs notified by the State authorities every now and then, a doc launched by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated.
Mr. Majhi identified that though the ST inhabitants in the State is greater than 22%, for a very long time, the reservation for them in technical, skilled, medical and allied programs was solely 12%. “Therefore, we have raised it according to their proportion in the population,” the Chief Minister stated.
He clarified that of the State’s whole 2,421 undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats, ST college students might safe solely 290 seats, based mostly on the 12% quota. However, after elevating their quota to 22.5%, 545 ST college students will now be capable of safe medical seats.
Similarly, there are greater than 17% SCs in the State, however solely 8% reservation for them. Earlier, solely 193 SC college students might get seats underneath the reserved class. Now, the variety of quota seats will improve to 393.
Of the full 44,579 engineering seats in the State, the quantity for STs will improve from 5,349 to 10,030. It will improve from 3,566 to 7,244 for SCs and for the primary time, 515 seats can be reserved for SEBC college students. Earlier, the variety of reserved seats for SEBC college students was zero, Mr. Majhi stated.
“This step of ours will be a strong means towards building a prosperous Odisha,” he stated.
In one other main resolution, the CM stated, Odisha will introduce a brand new scheme — ‘Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana’ — for the monetary yr 2026-27 underneath which beneficiaries can be supplied with a further 5 kg of rice each month freed from value.
“The State government has decided to distribute the additional rice quota to the beneficiaries under the ‘National Food Security Act’ (NFSA) and ‘State Food Security Scheme’ (SFSS) through a new scheme ‘Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana’ for the financial year 2026-27,” he stated.
Currently, 3,22,89,692 members of 97,97,572 households in the State are benefiting from the National Food Security Act, whereas 5,62,737 members of two,98,725 households are benefiting from the State Food Security Scheme. All these beneficiaries will now get the advantages of the brand new scheme.
The cupboard additionally accredited 14 different proposals of various departments.
Published – April 05, 2026 07:17 am IST
