Odisha govt. forms panel to study SEBC political backwardness

The Odisha government has established a panel to investigate the political underrepresentation and backwardness of socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs) within local self-government institutions. The commission will be led by retired Odisha High Court judge Justice Pramath Patnaik, as per a notification released by the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department.

Bijay Kumar Prusty, a former IAS officer, and Sujata Mishra, the Special Secretary in the department, will serve as members of the panel. This initiative is particularly timely as local elections for both panchayats and urban local bodies are slated for the following year. The Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, has directed the study to assess SEBCs' numerical strength, political representation, and political backwardness in both rural and urban local self-government institutions.

The commission will analyze the proportion of SEBCs in these institutions relative to the total population, their political representation, and the repercussions of their political underrepresentation compared to their population size. This research aims to inform appropriate measures for ensuring equitable representation of SEBCs in local governance and protecting their rights.

Previously, the Bharatiya Janata Party government had allocated 11.25% reservation for SEBC students in professional higher education institutions, such as engineering and medical colleges. The Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal government had previously constituted the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes to survey the social and educational conditions of individuals belonging to backward classes, estimating the OBC population at 1.95 crore.