Kolkata, 12 June :
The West Bengal government has reinstated the 17% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) by tabling a revised OBC list in the state assembly, after the previous list was struck down by the Calcutta High Court. The new list includes 140 OBC subgroups, with 80 Muslim communities, and aims to restart OBC-based admissions and job recruitments across the state.
Under the revised structure, OBC Group A receives 7% reservation and Group B gets 10% reservation. The updated OBC categorization follows fresh consultations and the inclusion of 50 additional communities.
This move has triggered a political controversy. The BJP has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of religious favoritism in OBC selection. However, the state government has clarified that socio-economic backwardness, not religion, was the deciding factor.
Currently, the matter is pending before the Supreme Court, which has directed the Bengal government to conduct a comprehensive OBC survey by the end of June. In the meantime, the state has resumed processing OBC certificates for use in education and employment.
The new OBC list shows that 73.4% of Group A and 48.3% of Group B communities are Muslim, further fueling the debate ahead of the upcoming elections.
Keywords:
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