Kolkata, August 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday cancelled all Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates issued under the revised rules in West Bengal during the previous Trinamool Congress government, ruling that the two-category system of OBC-A and OBC-B would no longer be recognised.
A division bench comprising Justice Rajasekhar Mantha and Justice Anuj Singh held that certificates issued under the two categories would not remain valid. Those holding such certificates will henceforth be treated under the general category.
West Bengal had divided its OBC list into OBC-A and OBC-B categories after 2010. The system later came under scrutiny amid allegations of irregularities in the issuance of OBC certificates.
In 2024, the High Court had removed 66 communities from the state’s OBC list and cancelled the certificates issued to them, directing the state government to conduct a fresh survey. The then Mamata Banerjee-led government challenged the order in the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court’s decision.
Following the Supreme Court’s directions, the state conducted a fresh survey and subsequently modified the OBC-A and OBC-B lists. The High Court, however, raised objections to the process.
It was alleged that the survey was based on only around 2,500 samples and resulted in 142 communities being included in the OBC list.
The state government again approached the Supreme Court after the High Court objected to the revised list. The apex court did not grant a stay, allowing the issuance of OBC certificates under the revised rules to continue.
The High Court has now cancelled the certificates issued under those rules, effectively ending the validity of the revised OBC-A and OBC-B classification.
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