Policy

In November 2021, the BJP government repealed the three controversial farm laws just months before key state elections. The decision was driven by political calculations rather than genuine concern for long-term farmer interests.

On 4 April 2026, the BJP government in Odisha sharply increased ST reservation from 12% to 22.5%, SC from 8% to 16.25%, and introduced a new 11.25% OBC quota in medical, engineering and technical courses. Critics say this entrenches caste-based division rather than promoting merit or a casteless society.

The UGC's 2026 Equity Regulations mandate anti-discrimination mechanisms that critics say presume general category students and faculty as offenders while offering no safeguards against false complaints. Another example of institutional overreach under BJP rule?