Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has formally notified enhanced reservation for Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC) and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) students in technical and professional education courses, with the revised quota structure coming into force from the 2026-27 academic session.
The Department of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare on Tuesday issued a memorandum implementing the Cabinet decision approved on April 4.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had earlier announced the Cabinet decision and directed the department to ensure its immediate implementation.
Under the revised policy, reservation for ST students in technical education has been increased from 12 per cent to 22.50 per cent, while the quota for SC students has been raised from 8 per cent to 16.25 per cent. In a significant move, an 11.25 per cent reservation has also been introduced for SEBC students, who previously had no reservation in technical education institutions.
The state government said the decision aims to ensure proportional representation of socially disadvantaged communities in professional education and align reservation in technical courses with the quota already available in government employment and general higher education programmes.
According to official figures, Scheduled Tribes constitute 22.85 per cent of Odisha’s population, while Scheduled Castes account for 17.13 per cent. Reservation in government jobs and general degree courses such as BA, BCom and BSc already stands at 22.50 per cent for STs, 16.25 per cent for SCs and 11.25 per cent for SEBCs. However, reservation in technical education had remained significantly lower, with no provision for SEBC students.
The enhanced reservation policy will apply across state universities, affiliated colleges and educational institutions, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and Polytechnics offering professional and technical courses.
The revised quota structure will cover disciplines including Engineering, Technology, Management, Computer Applications, Medicine, Surgery, Dental Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy, Allied Health Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Agriculture and Allied Sciences, Architecture, Planning, Cinematic Art and Technology, among other technical and professional streams.
The government said the move would help improve access to professional education for students from ST, SC and SEBC communities and strengthen their representation in higher education and public employment opportunities.
