Supreme Court Clears Way for UG Admissions in West Bengal; Upholds New OBC Reservation List

The Supreme Court has stayed a Calcutta High Court order, allowing West Bengal to implement its new OBC reservation list. CAP UG admissions will now proceed, with the merit list due on August 7.

In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has stayed a Calcutta High Court order that had stalled the implementation of a revised list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) for admissions in West Bengal. This landmark decision, issued on July 28, 2025, has effectively cleared the legal ambiguity surrounding reservations and paves the way for the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for undergraduate courses to proceed.

The Supreme Court's bench, led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, remarked that the High Court's stay order was "prima facie erroneous," asserting that reservation policies are an executive function and not solely dependent on new legislation. This ruling comes as a major relief to the West Bengal government and thousands of students who have been waiting for clarity. The delay had caused the state's Centralised Admission Portal (WBCAP) to extend its application deadline multiple times.

Impact on CAP and Admission Schedule:

With the legal hurdle removed, the higher education department has confirmed that the Centralised Admission Portal (WBCAP) will now move forward with the admission process based on the updated OBC list. The key dates are as follows:

• Application Closure: The final application window for the first phase of admission through WBCAP closed on July 30, 2025.
• Merit List Publication: The merit list for CAP Round 1 is now scheduled to be published on August 7, 2025.
• OBC Reservation: The new OBC list, prepared by the State Backward Classes Commission, has increased the total reservation for the OBC category to 17%, up from the previous 7% before 2010. This expanded quota, which includes 76 additional communities, will now be applied to all seats under the CAP.

Students who had already registered on the portal were given a final chance until August 1 to update their social category details to benefit from the new policy. With the merit list on the horizon, the university and college admissions that were in limbo, including WBJEE and Presidency University, are now expected to follow a more streamlined schedule.