Samajika Nyaya Abhijan, Odisha, today submitted a detailed memorandum to Ganesh Singh, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes, highlighting the gross injustice faced by the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in the State. Despite comprising 54% of Odisha’s population, these communities face glaring inequities in access to education and employment opportunities.
Key issues raised in the memorandum include:
Despite comprising 54% of the population, OBC/SEBC in Odisha receive 0% reservation in education. The memorandum requests the committee to direct the state government to revise its reservation policies and immediately implement 27% reservation for OBC/SEBC in education to ensure equity and inclusivity.
In the case of employment, Odisha implemented a 27% reservation for OBC/SEBC in 1994. This continued until 2007, when the Odisha High Court dismissed a writ petition, upholding the Odisha Tribunal’s 1998 judgment that nullified the provision. Since then, the reservation percentage has been drastically reduced to 11.25% in jobs. A Special Leave Petition (SLP) regarding this matter is still pending before the Honorable Supreme Court. The memorandum urges the committee to ask the state government to approach the Hon’ble Supreme Court, highlighting Odisha’s unique demographic of 40% SC-ST population, which is 15% higher than the national SC-ST population, qualifying it as an “exceptional circumstance” to surpass the 50% reservation cap as ruled by the Supreme Court in the Indra Sawhney case.
The memorandum also requests the committee to advocate for the inclusion of a caste-based census in the forthcoming national census. Accurate socio-economic data gathered through such an initiative will enable better-informed policymaking, equitable resource distribution, and the development of targeted welfare programs.
The memorandum emphasizes the urgent need for action to address these long-standing inequities and ensure justice for OBC/SEBC communities in Odisha.
Memorandum was submitted by Akshay Kumar Malik (Coordinator-Samajik Nyaya Abhijaan), Arun Sahoo (MLA-Nayagarh), Sanghamitra Jena (AISF), Biswa Pratap Sahoo, Badri Narayan Jena,Chidananada Jena, Shubham Sahoo, Satya pragya Gauda, Sailendra Jena, Prashant Kumar Parida, Ravi Rajan, Guru Nayarayan Mhapatra, Mallick Kamruddin Ali,Samim Akhtar, Sahil Sahni and others.