WBJEE result delayed after Calcutta HC orders revised merit list over OBC quota dispute

The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) 2025 result, which was scheduled to be declared on Thursday, has been postponed following directions from the Calcutta High Court. The court, during a hearing on a petition related to OBC reservations, observed that the current merit list prepared under existing guidelines cannot be published.

Justice Kaushik Chanda, who was hearing the matter, referred to the High Court’s earlier division bench order dated May 22 and stated that a revised merit list must be prepared based on the OBC-A and OBC-B category lists. The court also directed the WBJEE Board to consider the seven percent reservation policy that was in effect before 2010. Under this policy, 66 reserved category candidates must be included in the revised list.

The court further ordered that this revision process must be completed within 15 days. Additionally, the Chief Secretary has been directed to ensure that the court’s order is communicated to all relevant government departments without delay. The court also mandated that all ongoing recruitment and admission processes must now be conducted in accordance with the revised reservation guidelines.

A compliance affidavit is to be filed by a special secretary-level officer of the state government within three weeks. The affidavit must specify how the court’s instructions were implemented and detail the steps taken to ensure compliance across departments. This measure is aimed at ensuring that the court's directives are followed in full.

Alongside the WBJEE results, the undergraduate admission merit lists, which were also scheduled for release on Thursday, have been held back. Officials from the Higher Education Department, late on Wednesday night, cited technical reasons for the delay. As a result, both entrance results and college admissions have been temporarily stalled, affecting thousands of students awaiting their outcomes.