Kolkata: In a major policy shift aimed at aligning the state’s reservation framework with constitutional principles and judicial directives, the newly formed West Bengal government has reduced the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation from 17% to 7%, abolishing the OBC-A and OBC-B categories introduced during the Mamata Banerjee administration. The decision was approved during the first cabinet meeting of the new government held on May 18 and is being projected as a move toward a more transparent and legally sustainable reservation structure.
The state government clarified that the decision follows the 2024 Calcutta High Court judgment, which declared the inclusion of 77 additional castes into the OBC list between 2010 and 2012 “illegal and unconstitutional.” With the rollback, only the original 66 castes that existed in the state’s OBC list prior to 2010 will continue to receive reservation benefits.
Government officials stated that the revised system removes religion-based classification from the reservation framework and restores the earlier 7% quota model that existed before the expansion undertaken in 2012. The administration maintained that the move was necessary to protect the credibility of affirmative action policies and ensure that benefits reach genuinely backward communities through a constitutionally valid process.
The Mamata Banerjee government had divided OBC reservations into two categories, OBC-A with 10% reservation and OBC-B with 7% reservation, taking the total quota to 17%. During that period, dozens of new castes, many belonging to the Muslim community, were added to the list. However, the Calcutta High Court later struck down the additions, leading to the cancellation of nearly 1.2 million OBC certificates issued after 2010.
Importantly, the government clarified that individuals who had already secured government jobs or benefits through the earlier OBC quota system would not lose their appointments. The rights of beneficiaries who received reservations before the court verdict will remain protected.
The revised OBC list now includes communities such as Kapali, Kurmi, Karmakar, Sutradhar, Goldsmith, Barber, Tanti, Dhanuk, Butcher, Khandayat, Turha, Devang, and Goala. Three Muslim communities, Paharia, Hajjam, and Chaudhuli, also remain included, underlining the government’s claim that the new framework is not based on religion but on legally recognised backwardness criteria.
Minister of State Agnimitra Paul said the government would constitute a fresh review committee to reassess the OBC structure in accordance with constitutional norms and judicial observations. She stated that communities whose social and educational backwardness is validated through proper legal and administrative procedures may be reconsidered in the future.
“The government is committed to ensuring justice for genuinely backward communities while maintaining transparency and constitutional integrity in the reservation system,” Paul said after the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet meeting also witnessed several other major decisions aimed at administrative reform and welfare expansion. The government increased the upper age limit for state government jobs by five years, setting the new limits at 41 years for Group A posts, 44 years for Group B, and 45 years for Group C and D posts. Additional relaxations for SC, ST, OBC, and differently-abled candidates will continue.
In another significant move, the government announced the formation of a committee headed by retired Calcutta High Court judge Justice Biswajit Basu to investigate alleged corruption, bribery, and misuse of public funds in state institutions and welfare schemes. A separate commission under Justice Sampati Chatterjee will investigate atrocities against women, children, SC/ST communities, and minorities.
The cabinet also discontinued religion-based honorariums given to imams, muezzins, and priests, arguing that public funds should not be distributed on the basis of religious identity. Simultaneously, the government announced the “Annapurna Yojana,” under which women will receive ₹3,000 monthly financial assistance beginning June 1. Free travel for women in government buses and the formation of the 7th State Pay Commission were also approved.
Political observers view the rollback of the 17% OBC reservation system as one of the most consequential administrative decisions taken by the new Bengal government so far. Supporters of the move argue that it restores constitutional balance, reinforces judicial authority, and signals a shift toward governance based on legal scrutiny rather than electoral considerations.
