West Bengal High Court Halts OBC Sub‑Categorisation in UG Admissions

More than 71,000 applications had already been logged under those subcategories before the court moved to intervene.

The Calcutta High Court has intervened decisively in West Bengal’s centralized undergraduate (UG) admission process, pausing the ongoing classification of applicants under OBC-A and OBC-B categories. A contempt petition argued that the state was violating a previous stay on new OBC classifications, dating from a major June 17, 2025, ruling. Consequently, the court ordered that, although applicants may continue submitting forms via the online portal, no OBC sub-category data will be recorded or processed until the legal hurdles are resolved—effectively suspending category-based merit lists for now.

The bench, led by Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Tapabrata Chakraborty, also mandated that a clear notice must be displayed on the portal stating that only pre‑2010 OBC categories are being considered. Applicants who submitted their category details will later be asked to re-enter them once the admissions framework is legally clarified.

This comes on the heels of the previous stay on the West Bengal government’s notification that added over 140 OBC subgroups and increased reservation quotas to a total of 17 percent—allocating 10 percent for OBC-A and 7 percent for OBC-B.

More than 71,000 applications had already been logged under those subcategories before the court moved to intervene.

The court has scheduled the matter for its next hearing on July 4, 2025, by which time it expects a compliance affidavit from the state confirming the suspension of disallowed category-based actions.

Impact & Implications:

Admissions in limbo: While the portal remains open until July 1, final merit lists and seat allocations are blocked, leaving candidates in uncertainty.

Legal-political stakes: The case highlights tension between state executive orders and judicial oversight in implementing caste-based reservation policies.

Student anxiety: Affected applicants—especially those from OBC subcategories—face anxiety and confusion over their chances and the timing of admissions.

As the legal drama unfolds and a judgement expected in early July, the admissions process remains suspended on the key criteria of reservation eligibility. The case’s outcome may define future parameters for caste-based admission protocols across India.