Calcutta HC directs redrawing of WBJEE 2025 merit list to follow pre-2010 OBC reservation norms, citing non-compliance with earlier court orders.
In a significant move impacting thousands of aspirants, the Calcutta High Court has ordered a redrawing of the WBJEE 2025 merit list to align with its earlier directions on OBC reservations.
High Court Pulls Up WBJEE Board Over OBC Quota Non-Compliance
The Calcutta High Court, on August 8, 2025, directed the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) to revise the 2025 merit list for engineering and medical entrance admissions. The court found that the list was drawn in violation of a May 2024 order mandating adherence to pre-2010 reservation percentages for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
The division bench, led by Justice Rajasekhar Mantha and Justice Amrita Sinha, noted that the Board failed to comply with the court’s earlier directives regarding reservation policy implementation, resulting in “an incorrect and inequitable allocation of seats.”
The court also noted that despite being put on notice of the reservation ruling in May, the Board had “proceeded to publish the merit list in breach of judicial discipline.”
Background: Reservation Policy and the 2024 HC Verdict
The issue traces back to a May 2024 order by the same court, where it was held that any post-2010 changes to OBC classification and percentage introduced by the West Bengal government lacked a valid legislative framework. The court had ruled that until a new law or executive notification passed judicial scrutiny, only the pre-2010 OBC list and percentage could be considered valid.
The May 2024 ruling was a response to a series of petitions by general category and SC/ST students, who alleged that the expanded OBC list post-2010 had led to an unfair dilution of merit-based selection and was not backed by proper caste-based quantifiable data, as mandated by the Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992).
The court had then explicitly barred WBJEEB and all state education authorities from using the post-2010 list until further orders.
Court’s Rationale: Upholding Rule of Law
In the latest hearing, Justice Mantha remarked,
“Administrative convenience cannot override constitutional mandates. Reservation is a tool for equity—not a lever to circumvent established legal parameters.”
The court further observed that WBJEEB’s action “distorts the merit list and affects the sanctity of competitive entrance processes,” particularly when the matter of OBC classification remains legally unsettled.
Justice Sinha added that authorities are duty-bound to respect court orders, and any deviation, especially in high-stakes public examinations, sets a “dangerous precedent for institutional non-compliance.”
WBJEE Board Asked to Act Swiftly
The WBJEEB has now been ordered to:
- Withdraw the current merit list published for WBJEE 2025;
- Recast the merit list by August 20, 2025, strictly applying pre-2010 OBC reservation norms;
- File a compliance affidavit before the High Court on or before August 22, 2025.
The court warned that any further deviation from judicial orders would attract personal liability and contempt proceedings against Board officials.
Impact on Students and Institutions
The judgment will impact:
- Thousands of OBC students admitted based on the expanded post-2010 list;
- General category and SC/ST candidates who may have lost opportunities due to the incorrect implementation;
- Admissions into top state engineering and medical colleges, which are now likely to be reevaluated or put on hold.
“This ruling will restore fairness, but also create temporary chaos,” said Dr. Arindam Ghosh, an education policy researcher at the Indian Institute of Public Administration.
“It underscores the need for a legally vetted reservation policy and for boards like WBJEEB to rigorously follow judicial mandates.”
What’s Next?
While the High Court’s direction is binding, legal experts predict potential appeals to the Supreme Court by stakeholders affected by the change in reservation policy. Meanwhile, the admission process may face delays as counselling rounds and provisional allocations will need to be realigned with the corrected merit list.
The state government is yet to comment officially, but sources indicate that a review of the OBC classification system may now be expedited to avoid further litigation.
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