Kolkata, Jul 30 (PTI) Decks have been cleared for the publication of West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination Board (WBJEE) results following the Supreme Court’s July 28 order staying the Calcutta High Court’s earlier decision to halt the implementation of a revised list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) notified by the state government, a senior higher education department official said on Wednesday.
“We in the higher education department had already anticipated this and are fully prepared to take appropriate actions immediately,” state Education Minister Bratya Basu had said soon after the apex court’s order.
Asked about the timeline for publication of the WBJEE results, board chairperson Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee remained cautious, though optimistic.
“Today (July 30), we received the state government directive. We shall implement the directive and let you know about our decision tomorrow (July 31),” she told PTI.
A senior education official told PTI that steps have been taken to publish the results soon.
“We have consulted legal experts, and every step has been taken to accommodate candidates’ interests. The results will be out soon,” he added.
Before the Supreme Court’s directive, Banerjee had said, “We were ready to publish the results by July 5. But then, the legal developments followed, and the matter became subjudice. We were waiting for the government’s directive.” The WBJEE exams were held on April 27.
On July 28, a bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria, while hearing the appeal of the state government, vacated the stay of the HC of the state’s OBC policy and said “prima facie, the high court order seems to be erroneous.” On June 17, the Calcutta High Court ordered an interim stay on notifications issued by the state government with regard to reservations to 140 subsections under OBC-A and OBC-B categories made by it.
The Supreme Court bench took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state government, and said, “This is surprising. How can the high court pass such an order? Reservation is part of the executive function.” The state had prepared the new list after the high court, in May 2024, quashed the inclusion of as many as 77 communities in the OBC list. PTI SUS MNB
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