Calcutta HC orders fresh WBJEE merit list 2025 within 15 days, 7% reservation for 66 classes of OBC

The Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) to come up with a fresh WBJEE merit list 2025, stating that the previously published one is "erroneous and unsustainable" and did not conform to the court's order on OBC reservation. WBJEE Result 2025 LIVE

Just a day before the WBJEE 2025 result announcement, the Calcutta High Court initiated a contempt proceedings against the state for not following the court orders dated May 22. Following this, the WBJEEB postponed the WBJEE results.

Justice Kausik Chanda expressed "surprise" at the manner in which the state violated the directive, and summoned the principal secretary, higher education department, on August 7 to explain the state's position.

Justice Chanda today directed that the fresh panel must offer 7% reservation for the 66 classes of OBC candidates as recognised by the West Bengal Backward Classes Department prior to 2010. He further ordered that the entire exercise should be completed within 15 days from the date of this order.

The court directed that affidavits of compliance will be filed by the Registrar, West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board,

and also by an officer not below the rank of senior special secretary, West Bengal Higher Education Department, on the next date of hearing after three weeks, the PTI reported.

Old WBJEE merit list is 'erroneous', says court

Calcutta High Court observed that the WBJEEB prepared the WBJEE merit list in clear violation of the court order. The suo motu proceeding was initiated after Justice Chanda received complained from candidates through his email.

The court noted in its order that the JEE Board had fixed Thursday for publication of the merit list of the joint entrance examination, 2025, providing reservations to the OBC candidates in terms of a new reservation policy, which had come into effect on June 10. However, the new policy was stayed by a division bench of the high court on June 17.

An interim order of the Supreme Court on July 28 revived the new reservation policy for a limited period until August 11, Justice Chanda noted.

The court said that the information bulletin for the state's JEE - 2025 was published on December 24, 2024, and the application window remained open from January 22 to February 23, 2025, and the examination itself was held on April 27.

"In these circumstances, it is wholly beyond comprehension of this court as to how the new reservation policy effective from June 10, 2025, could have any application to the said examination," the court said. "Even assuming that the said policy is eventually upheld or allowed to operate, it can, at best, have prospective effect.

Accordingly, the application of the said policy to the merit list for the 2025 examination is clearly erroneous and unsustainable," the Judge observed.

(With inputs from PTI)