Kolkata, June 17 (UNI) In a major blow to the West Bengal government, the Calcutta High Court has has given an interim stay on the move to prepare a revised list of Other Backward Classes (OBC) which included the addition of 140 new sub-categories.
The order, passed by a division bench comprising Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Tapabrata Chakraborty, will remain in effect until the next hearing on July 31.
The court also stayed the operation of a state-run portal intended for submission of caste certificates related to this revised classification.
The decision came in response to a petition challenging the legality of the state’s attempt to update the OBC list. The petition argued that the state was accepting applications even from groups whose reservations had previously been revoked by the court.
Lawyer Bikram Bandopadhyay, representing one of the petitioners, stated that the survey was conducted hastily and without adherence to Supreme Court guidelines. Following a two-day hearing, the High Court granted the interim stay on the proposed notification regarding sub-categorisation.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the interim order, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee who was representing the state said, “There are some grey (unclear) areas in your verdict. I may be wrong, but I must say this.”
“I am a member of the Parliamentary Committee. Since 2015, the Central Commission has not submitted any report. An interim order should not be passed. It would be better to wait for the Supreme Court’s decision,” he submitted.
In May 2024, the Calcutta High Court had annulled all OBC certificates issued in the state since 2010. The West Bengal government later informed the Supreme Court that it had initiated a fresh survey for reclassification, pledging to complete it within three months. However, the Supreme Court expressed concerns about reservation being granted on religious grounds and questioned the basis of the state's classifications.
As part of the fresh classification effort, the state government had proposed adding 140 new OBC sub-categories — reportedly including 80 from minority communities and 60 from non-Muslim groups. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had presented this data in the state assembly.
Opposition parties welcomed the ruling. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari called it a "victory of the judiciary" and criticised the state government's alleged appeasement politics.
BJP State President and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar echoed similar sentiments, accusing the Trinamool Congress of attempting to extend reservations on religious grounds.
The court’s order has created uncertainty around the college admission process, which relies in part on the updated OBC data. State Education Minister Bratya Basu assured that the government would respond promptly once the final court order is issued. UNI XC SSP