The Calcutta High Court has ordered an interim stay on the preparation of a new list of Other Backward Caste (OBC’s) persons in the state of West Bengal, by including new castes in the state’s list of existing OBC classes.

A division bench of Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Tapabrata Chakraborty issued the interim stay till the next date of hearing on 31st July, 2025.

The court has also put a stay on the State government’s decision to open a portal for submission of caste certificates for the purpose of addition of OBC classes in the new lists.

The petitioner in this case had approached the court challenging the state’s exercise to notify fresh lists for OBC classes on the grounds that applications were also being entertained from those OBC classes whose reservations had been earlier scrapped by the division bench of the High Court.

Background

In May last year, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court had cancelled all OBC certificates issued in West Bengal after the year 2010. The state government had approached the Supreme Court against this order, and told the Apex court that a fresh commission had been instituted for the classification of OBC classes in the state.

The Apex court, while hearing the state’s challenge, had observed that reservation cannot be granted on the basis of religion, and thus questioned the state’s classification of OBC classes.

A detailed order is awaited, and this story will be updated when it is available.

Case: AMAL CHANDRA DAS v THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL ADN ORS.

Case No: WPA(P)/111/2025