Bhubaneswar: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is also an MP from Sambalpur, has written to National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) Chairman Hansraj Ahir, requesting for the inclusion of 14 communities from Odisha, including the prominent Khandayat caste, in the Central List of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
In a post on X, Dharmendra said that castes like Khandayat, Paika, Chasa Paika, Alia, Paikali, Kalingi Shudra Khandayat, Mahanayak Shudra, Oda-Khandayat, Bayalisha, Oda, Oda Paika, Oda Paiko, Haladia Teli and Rajashribalasi/Balasi are already recognized as Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in Odisha.
“Many communities in Odisha’s state SEBC list are not yet to be included in the Central OBC list. Because of this, people belonging to these communities are being deprived of reservation benefits in central government jobs, admissions to central educational institutions and technical/professional education institutions and various welfare schemes,” he noted.
Besides ensuring their social and economic development, he maintained that inclusion of these communities in the Central OBC list will be an important step toward granting this large section of Odisha’s population their rightful entitlements and justice. “I have written to the NCBC Chairman urging him to include these communities from Odisha in the central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs),” he added.
While Odisha provides 11.25% reservation for SEBCs in state government jobs and higher education, the central government offers 27% reservation for OBCs in its services and institutions. Adding these 14 communities to the Central list would enable them to avail these benefits at the national level.
