Wed Jun 11 20:00:38 UTC 2025: **News Article:**

**West Bengal OBC Reservation Standoff Intensifies Amid Accusations and Delays**

**Kolkata, June 12, 2025** – A political firestorm continues to rage in West Bengal over the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government of “appeasement politics.” The accusations follow Banerjee’s statement that “backwardness” is the primary benchmark for determining OBC categories.

The Chief Minister addressed the State Assembly on Tuesday, while presenting the annual report of the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes for the financial year 2024-25, stating that a government-established commission is surveying 50 new subsections for potential OBC inclusion.

This development comes after the Calcutta High Court struck down the OBC reservation awarded to 77 categories in May 2024, citing a lack of legislative policy within the 2012 scheme. The case is currently under review by the Supreme Court, where the State government pledged to complete a fresh OBC survey within three months, on March 19, 2025.

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the OBC list has caused significant delays in college admissions, nearly a month after the declaration of Higher Secondary Examination results. An interim report on the new OBC list was tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari responded critically, suggesting the new list would unfairly favor Muslims at the expense of other communities. However, State Education Minister Bratya Basu has reassured the public that the academic calendar will not be disrupted due to the OBC reservation issues.

The situation remains tense as political parties clash over the sensitive issue of reservation, with the fate of numerous students hanging in the balance.

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