High Court in Calcutta directs WBJEE Board to publish updated ranking list
The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) is undergoing a significant change in its OBC reservation policy for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) 2025. The Calcutta High Court has ordered the Board to publish a new merit list incorporating a 7% reservation for 66 OBC categories recognized by the West Bengal Backward Classes Department prior to 2010.
On June 17, the Calcutta High Court stayed the new reservation policy for OBC candidates in the West Bengal JEE. The court found it incomprehensible how the new policy, effective from June 10, 2025, could have any application to the 2025 examination. The court's observation came after Justice Kausik Chanda observed that the preparation of the merit list for the JEE - 2025 by the WBJEEB had been carried out in violation of this court's order passed on May 21.
Justice Chanda noted that the WBJEEB had fixed Thursday for the publication of the merit list of the joint entrance examination, 2025, providing reservations to OBC candidates based on a new reservation policy. However, the court found this application to be clearly erroneous and unsustainable.
Due to this violation, the WBJEE results announced on August 7, 2025, were stayed, and the Board was asked to reconstitute the panel and prepare a fresh merit list based on the older 7% reservation for the 66 OBC categories. The entire exercise is mandated to be completed within 15 days from August 7, making the new merit list deadline around August 22, 2025.
The state government has indicated plans to challenge the High Court order in the Supreme Court. However, as of now, the fresh merit list following the previous OBC reservation list is to be followed.
The application window for the West Bengal JEE - 2025 remained open from January 22 to February 23, 2025, and the examination was held on April 27. The information bulletin for the West Bengal JEE - 2025 was published on December 24, 2024.
[1] Times of India: WBJEEB to prepare fresh merit list for OBC candidates [2] The Hindu: Calcutta High Court stays OBC reservation policy in West Bengal JEE [3] The Indian Express: West Bengal JEE: Calcutta High Court orders fresh merit list for OBC candidates [4] The Telegraph: WBJEEB to prepare fresh merit list for OBC candidates in JEE [5] The Statesman: WBJEEB to prepare fresh merit list for OBC candidates in JEE: What does it mean?
- The Calcutta High Court's ruling on the OBC reservation policy in the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) 2025, as well as the subsequent stay of the WBJEEB's new merit list, has prompted intense discussion in general news, politics, and education-and-self-development forums.
- Amidst the repercussions of the Calcutta High Court's order for a fresh merit list based on the previous 7% reservation for OBC categories, the state government's decision to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court has become a pertinent issue in the ongoing political discourse.
