In a landmark verdict, the Calcutta High Court invalidated all Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued in West Bengal since 2010. A division bench comprising Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Rajasekhar Mantha delivered the ruling on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the legality and procedural integrity of the reservation process followed by the state administration. The decision effectively strikes down key executive orders and statutory provisions under which these certificates were granted during Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's tenure.
The High Court struck down key sections of the West Bengal Backward Classes (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012, which allowed executive amendments to reservation lists without proper statutory procedures. Consequently, the bench dismantled the sub-classification system dividing reservations into OBC-A and OBC-B categories, removing both classifications from Schedule I of the Act. The court noted that improper procedures and arbitrary executive inclusions violated constitutional safeguards governing backward class reservations.
While nullifying approximately five lakh OBC certificates, the court provided prospective relief to individuals who had already secured employment or availed benefits under the quota, clarifying that their jobs and services will remain unaffected. The bench directed the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes to conduct a fresh assessment and prepare a legally compliant list of eligible backward classes under the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.