Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Odisha State Cabinet has made a landmark decision to introduce 11.25% reservation in admissions for students belonging to Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) in state public universities and government-aided higher secondary and higher education institutions. This decision will come into effect from the academic year 2025-26.
The move aims to promote access, equity, and inclusion in higher education, increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio and enhancing opportunities for marginalized and disadvantaged communities in Odisha. The reservation policy will be uniformly implemented across all state public universities and government-aided institutions under various departments, including School & Mass Education, Higher Education, Odia Language and Literature & Culture, and Sports & Youth Services.
By making this decision, the state government has guaranteed that students from various categories, such as ST (22.5%), SC (16.25%), SEBC (11.25%), PwD (5%), and ESM (1%), would be given reservations. Promoting equity and inclusion in education is a key component of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which is in line with this program. It is anticipated that the ruling would support diversity in Odisha’s higher education institutions and help students from underrepresented groups.
“This is a significant decision by the Odisha government towards social justice, especially for the people who are economically backward,” Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, referring to the Cabinet decision as historic. The Chief Minister asserted that the BJP government had granted constitutional rights to members of the backward classes that the state’s previous governments had denied them.
