Bhubaneswar, Mar 31: State Government has directed for reservation of 15% of seats in medical and engineering colleges of the state for the students who have passed the 10th board examination under the Board of Secondary Education, Odisha from government high schools and also have passed the 12th board examination under the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Odisha from any government higher secondary school/government junior college and such reservations shall be horizontal covering all vertical reservations as well as unreserved group.

The government high school includes the aided high schools, higher secondary schools, junior colleges of the State as defined in the Odisha Education Act, 1969. Medical courses in relation to a Medical College, include MBBS, BHMS, BAMS and BUMS and Engineering courses include B.Tech, B.E. and B. Arch. Such eligible students shall also be entitled to compete for the unreserved seats. Where adequate number of such eligible students are not available for seats to set apart, such unfilled seats shall be filled up by the other students of respective category. The Skill Development and Technical Education Department has issued notification to the above effect.

The Department has stated that such reservation has been made with regards to the recommendation of the High Power Committee. Students studying in Government High Schools are found to be at a disadvantageous position compared to their counterparts in private schools while appearing in entrance examinations like NEET and JEE for their career growth, as they do not have the access, nor the economic capacity to avail coaching for Medical and Engineering entrance examination. In order to remove the inequalities and to facilitate entry of students of Government High Schools in Engineering and Medical Courses of the State, a High-Power Committee was constituted and the committee has submitted its report to the State Government with its recommendations.