West Bengal Restores 17% OBC Quota After Fresh Survey

West Bengal Restores 17% OBC Quota After Fresh Survey

The West Bengal government’s updated survey on Other Backward Classes (OBCs) is based solely on social and economic backwardness, not religious identity, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated in the state assembly on Tuesday. She was presenting a new report that identifies 140 communities under the OBC category.

According to the report, there are 49 groups under OBC-A and 91 under OBC-B, with an additional 50 communities currently under review for potential inclusion.

The legal challenges surrounding OBC classifications had led to significant disruptions across the state, affecting educational admissions and public sector hiring. Banerjee announced that the distribution of OBC certificates for college admissions and government jobs would resume immediately. "Several recruitment processes were halted due to legal uncertainties. Those obstacles are now being addressed," she said.

A ruling by the Calcutta High Court in May 2024, now under appeal in the Supreme Court, had invalidated OBC status for several communities, reducing the state's 17% OBC quota to 7% and nullifying nearly 500,000 caste certificates.

With the release of the latest report, the government intends to restore the full 17% OBC quota—7% for OBC-A and 10% for OBC-B. This percentage may rise slightly if the 50 pending groups are approved.

The Chief Minister alleged that misinformation is being deliberately spread, falsely claiming that religion is the basis for OBC classification. "There is an organized attempt to mislead people through social media and parts of the mainstream media. This narrative is entirely baseless," Banerjee asserted.

She further emphasized that the High Court’s ruling—disqualifying 113 communities from OBC status and dissolving the earlier OBC-A and OBC-B categorization—had a severe impact, drastically reducing the scope of reservations and affecting thousands across the state.

On May 22, 2024, the High Court remarked that religion seemed to be the primary criterion for OBC classification in many cases. In response, the state government approached the Supreme Court and committed to conducting a fresh survey within three months, to be completed by the end of June.

Following this, a new Backward Classes Welfare Commission was formed, headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Asim Kumar Banerjee. The commission reviewed the status of 117 communities, including the 113 previously excluded, using updated socio-economic data from the Bureau of Applied Economics and Statistics. An additional 26 communities requested inclusion, prompting an expansion of the review process.

On May 8, 2025, the state issued a new notification introducing revised sub-categories for 66 communities whose OBC status remained valid. Subsequently, on May 27, 51 more communities were reinstated, followed by 25 more on June 3. The government resumed categorization on that day, placing 35 groups under OBC-A and 41 under OBC-B.

Addressing the spread of online disinformation, Banerjee said, "Every morning brings a new wave of misleading information. That's why it was essential to clarify the facts in the assembly."

Criticizing the previous Left Front government, she remarked that no proper groundwork or surveys were conducted during their tenure. "Only after our administration took charge was a thorough benchmark survey carried out. The OBC-A category includes groups with greater backwardness, hence they receive a larger share of reservations," she said.

Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari attempted to intervene during the session but was not permitted by Speaker Biman Banerjee. Adhikari later claimed the entire exercise was aimed at favoring a particular religious group, warning that genuinely disadvantaged communities might lose out. He added that the opposition would present its concerns during the next Supreme Court hearing.