BJD Appeals to Odisha Governor for 27% Reservation for OBC Students Across All Educational Institutions

Bhubaneswar, May 21 — The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has formally urged Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati to ensure the uniform implementation of a minimum 27 percent reservation for Other Backward Class (OBC) students in all educational institutions across the state.

The party’s demand comes amid growing concerns over the current reservation policies for socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC), including OBCs, in Odisha’s higher education and employment sectors. BJD leaders held a protest on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum to the Governor, signed by MPs, MLAs, and senior party officials.

The memorandum emphasized the urgent need to protect the constitutional rights and educational opportunities of socially and educationally backward communities in Odisha. It specifically called for a 27 percent reservation quota for OBC students not only in general higher education but also in technical, medical, engineering, and vocational institutions.

While the Odisha government recently announced an 11.25 percent reservation for SEBC students in higher education, the BJD described the measure as inadequate and lacking comprehensive coverage. The current reservation does not extend to medical and engineering colleges, the party noted.

Highlighting disparities, the BJD pointed out that Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC) together make up 38.75 percent of Odisha’s population (22.5 percent ST and 16.25 percent SC). However, reservation in technical and professional courses for these groups totals only 20 percent (12 percent ST and 8 percent SC), which falls short of their proportional share.

The party also underscored that the Central Government and several other states have already implemented a 27 percent reservation for OBCs in educational institutions, including technical and professional courses, urging Odisha to follow suit to uphold social justice and constitutional mandates.

In addition to the OBC reservation demand, the BJD has called for a review and revision of the existing reservation percentages for SC and ST communities in professional courses to better reflect their demographic presence.

The memorandum concluded by stressing that meaningful access to education is vital for building a just and equitable society and requested the Governor’s immediate intervention to enforce uniform reservation policies across the state.