Bhubaneswar, May 15 -- Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday criticized the previous Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) governments in Odisha for denying reservation in jobs and education to students belonging to the Socio-Economically Backward Classes (SEBC).
Responding to a media query in Bhubaneswar, Pradhan stated that a mock survey was conducted under the guise of a court case, which was used as an excuse to avoid implementing reservations.
He pointed out that even after the implementation of the Mandal Commission's recommendations in 1990, SEBC students in Odisha were denied their rightful reservations.
"For 35 years, Congress and BJD were in power in the state, but failed to provide constitutional rights to backw...