In a significant legal and political development, the Calcutta High Court has issued an interim stay on the West Bengal government’s revised OBC list, halting all actions based on the new notification that added 140 communities, including 80 Muslim subgroups, to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
⚖️ Court Flags Procedural Irregularities
The division bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Rajasekhar Mantha ruled that the state’s June 10 notification violated legal procedures and prior court directives. The stay affects college admissions, government job recruitments, and the implementation of a new 100-point roster system based on the updated list.
The court clarified that the original list of 66 OBC communities recognized before 2010 remains valid and unaffected by the ruling.
🧾 Background: Legal Tug-of-War Over OBC Status
This ruling follows the court’s May 2024 order, which struck down OBC status granted to 77 Muslim communities since 2010, citing political motives and lack of proper surveys. In response, the TMC-led government introduced a new list, claiming it was based on a scientific benchmark survey conducted by the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes.
However, the court questioned the feasibility of conducting such a comprehensive survey in just six weeks and criticized the state for reverting to the 1993 Act after partially implementing the 2012 OBC Act.
🗣️ Political Reactions: BJP Cheers, TMC Defends
BJP Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari hailed the verdict as a “resounding victory of the judiciary”, accusing the TMC of using OBC reservations for vote-bank politics.
Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty defended the list, asserting that backwardness—not religion—was the sole criterion for inclusion.
🏛️ Next Steps: Supreme Court Challenge Likely
The state government is expected to challenge the interim stay in the Supreme Court, where related petitions are already pending. The High Court has set July 31 as the next date for review.
