OBC Reservation: OBC Forum Demands 27% Quota Implementation in Odisha | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: The Other Backward Caste (OBC) Forum of Odisha submitted a memorandum to governor Raghubar Das on Saturday demanding implementation of 27% reservation in educational institutions and employment.
The OBC Forum, Odisha State Committee, urged immediate action on the implementation of 27% reservation for OBCs in education, employment and panchayati raj elections.It listed the long-standing issue of inadequate reservation for OBCs contrasting it with the national standard set by the Mandal Commission in 1990.
The forum stated that despite the Centre’s implementation of 27% reservation for OBCs in jobs and educational institutions like IITs, IIMs, and central universities, Odisha only provides 11.25% reservation in govt jobs. Additionally, there is no OBC reservation in state-sponsored colleges and universities, including medical and engineering programmes.
They also said the upcoming recruitment for 1.32 lakh govt jobs in Odisha might exclude 18,000 OBC candidates from getting jobs. Every year, they are losing 20,000 seats in engineering and 500 seats in medical education.
The memorandum also points out the absence of OBC reservation in the 2022 Panchayati Raj elections, reducing the participation of backward classes in grassroots democracy.
“We are losing thousands of opportunities every year,” said Rabi Behera from the OBC Forum. “It is crucial for the state govt to recognise the constitutional rights of OBCs and implement 27% reservation in all sectors,” it stated.
Moreover, the forum has requested for the report of the OBC survey conducted by the previous govt. Governor has been urged to convene a high-level meeting to address OBC reservation plea promptly.
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