Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged his counterpart in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Virendra Kumar, to include 108 Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) communities of Odisha in the Central OBC list.
The people categorised as Other Backward Class (OBC) at the central level are known as Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) in Odisha.
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Mr. Pradhan, in a letter to Virendra Kumar on Monday (December 23, 2025), said, "I would like to draw your kind attention to a matter of great significance concerning the parity between the State and central lists of Other Backward Classes (OBC) in Odisha." The Union Education Minister, who hails from Odisha, pointed out that several communities that is already recognised in the State list of SEBC by the State Government are yet to be included in the Central OBC list.
"This discrepancy has resulted in administrative ambiguities and interpretational challenges for members of these communities, particularly when they migrate across the States or seek access to Central Government services, educational institutions, or employment opportunities," Mr. Pradhan said.
