Jena urges Odisha CM to implement reservation for OBC/SEBC and SC/ST students

Bhubaneswar:   Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Srikant Jena has urged Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to implement constitutional reservations in education for OBC/SEBC and SC/ST students, starting from the upcoming academic session in June 2025, reports Dynamite News correspondent.

Jena, who had previously raised the issue in letters to the Chief Minister on June 24 and August 8, reiterated his demand with data-backed reports. He expressed regret that, despite multiple reminders, no concrete action has been taken. He emphasized that the failure to implement reservations under Articles 15(4), 15(5), and 16(4) of the Constitution amounts to a grave injustice and undermines the principle of social justice.

Highlighting the disparity, Jena stated that although OBC/SEBC communities constitute 54 percent of Odisha’s population, they currently receive no reservation in education (despite the constitutional mandate of 27 percent) and only 11.25 percent in public employment—far below their demographic entitlement.

In contrast, Odisha's SC/ST population stands at 40 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 22.5 percent. This, Jena argued, qualifies as an "exceptional circumstance" under the Indra Sawhney judgment, justifying reservations beyond the 50 percent cap set by the Supreme Court.

Due to the state's failure to implement fair reservation policies, over 7,000 OBC/SEBC students have lost out on medical seats, and nearly 50,000 job opportunities have been denied, he added.

Jena called on the state government to immediately enforce the 27 percent reservation for OBC/SEBC students in both education and employment. He also proposed a special recruitment drive to compensate for the opportunities missed by these students over the years.

Additionally, he stressed that reservations should be extended to private educational institutions, in accordance with Article 15(5) of the Constitution.

Referring to existing discrepancies, Jena noted that SC/ST students currently receive only 20 percent reservation in technical education, which violates the government’s directive issued on June 1, 2015. He urged the government to ensure the mandated 38.75 percent reservation for SC/ST students.

Jena also demanded the revival of the defunct SC/ST, OBC, and Minority Finance Corporation, and proposed the creation of a Rs.5,000 crore corpus fund to support SC/ST, OBC/SEBC, and minority entrepreneurs through interest subsidies, margin money, and concessional loans.

In his concluding remarks, Jena appealed to the Chief Minister to take immediate action, stating that doing so would fulfill the state’s constitutional obligations and help restore the faith of marginalized communities in the democratic system.