Bhubaneswar: In a significant move toward ensuring social justice, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has officially taken up the issue of OBC inclusion with the Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar.
In a formal letter, Shri Pradhan requested the personal intervention of the ministry to include 108 communities from Odisha—presently recognized only in the state Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) list—into the Central Other Backward Classes (OBC) list.
The appeal highlights a critical gap in constitutional rights for many groups, including various sub-castes and sections of the Chasa society. While some branches of the Chasa community have already secured a place in the central list, many others remain excluded despite being recognized as backward by the state government.
Shri Pradhan emphasized that this lack of parity creates administrative hurdles and “interpretational challenges,” especially for students and job seekers who find themselves ineligible for 27 percent central reservation and national welfare schemes.
The Union Minister noted that Odisha has a substantial SEBC population whose development is hindered by this discrepancy. By seeking to align the state and central lists, the government aims to fulfill its commitment to providing historically disadvantaged groups with their full constitutional entitlements.
This initiative is expected to streamline the process for obtaining certificates and ensure that the 108 identified communities can compete on an equal footing for central government employment and admissions into premier national educational institutions.
Earlier to strengthening the rights of backward communities, Union Minister Shri Pradhan has written to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
On December 22, 2025, Shri Pradhan wrote to the Chief Minister urging the immediate reconstitution of the Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC), which has remained non-functional since its tenure ended in January 2024.
The Union Minister emphasized that the absence of a functioning Commission has left 216 Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) communities without a statutory platform to address their grievances.
He noted that a functional state body is essential for examining requests for inclusion in the backward classes list and for providing the necessary recommendations required by the central government. Without this state-level mechanism, thousands of individuals from these communities are struggling to obtain the necessary certifications to access education and employment opportunities.