The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) has nullified its 2025 merit list following a directive from the Calcutta High Court, which found the board’s handling of OBC reservations non-compliant with prior judicial orders. The ruling, delivered by Justice Kausik Chanda, mandates the release of a revised merit list within 15 days, ensuring proper application of reservation rules for 66 OBC categories listed before 2010.
This decision, stemming from candidate complaints and suo motu proceedings, highlights critical issues in the state’s examination process.
Court Finds Flaws in Reservation Policy Implementation
The controversy erupted when the WBJEEB released the JEE 2025 merit list under a new reservation policy notified on June 10, 2025, despite a division bench of the Calcutta High Court staying that policy on June 17.
Justice Chanda emphasized that the examination, conducted on April 27, 2025, was governed by rules set in December 2024, rendering the new policy’s retroactive application invalid. “Even if the policy is later upheld, it can only apply to future exams,” he stated. “Applying it to the current list is not legally sustainable.”
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The court’s scrutiny was triggered by emails from JEE candidates raising concerns about the merit list’s fairness. Justice Chanda’s ruling enforces a May 21 court order, requiring a 7% reservation for 66 pre-2010 OBC categories, as listed by the state’s Backward Classes Department.
The WBJEEB and the Higher Education Department must now submit compliance reports before the next hearing in three weeks.
Impact on Candidates and Future Examinations
The cancellation of the merit list is poised to affect thousands of candidates awaiting seat allocations for West Bengal’s engineering and medical colleges. The court’s directive to revise the list within a tight 15-day timeline underscores the urgency of addressing these procedural lapses.
Moreover, the ruling sets a precedent that changes in reservation policies cannot retroactively alter processes already in motion, particularly for time-sensitive exams like the JEE, where applications were submitted between January 22 and February 23, 2025.
This decision not only reshapes the WBJEEB’s approach to the 2025 admissions but also signals stricter judicial oversight of reservation policies in educational examinations, ensuring fairness and adherence to established rules.
