West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu on Monday hailed the Supreme Court’s order to stay the Calcutta High Court’s decision that had stalled the implementation of a revised list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) notified by the state government.
The minister stated that the state was ready to take immediate action.
"Prima facie, the high court order seems to be erroneous," noted a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria during the hearing of the state’s appeal.
In a post on X, Basu said, “Today’s stay in the Hon’ble Supreme Court is a moral victory for the OBC policy of our Hon’ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.” He added that the Higher Education department had anticipated this outcome and was prepared to respond swiftly.
WBJEE Board Chairperson Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee had previously indicated that the board was ready to publish results in early July, but held back as the matter became sub-judice.
The Calcutta High Court had ordered an interim stay on June 17, suspending state notifications related to 140 OBC-A and OBC-B subsections. The state’s revised OBC list was drafted after the high court, in May 2024, quashed the inclusion of 77 communities.
At the outset, the Supreme Court questioned the High Court’s decision, saying, “This is surprising. How can the High Court pass such an order? Reservation is part of the executive function,” as submitted by senior advocate Kapil Sibal on behalf of the state.