Supreme Court Demands Clarity on OBC Inclusion in West Bengal

The Supreme Court has asked the West Bengal government to provide data on the social and economic backwardness of castes recently included in the OBC list. This comes after the Calcutta High Court struck down the OBC status of several castes. The state must now clarify its processes and consultations involved in this classification.

In a significant judicial development, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the West Bengal government to submit concrete data regarding the social and economic backwardness of the newly added castes in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list.

This demand follows a Calcutta High Court verdict that nullified the OBC status of several castes, questioning their reservation in public sector jobs and educational institutions. The top court has instructed the state to provide details of any consultations held with the state's backward classes panel before including these 37 mostly Muslim castes in the OBC list.

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud emphasized the need for transparency and questioned the quantitative data supporting these classifications. The next hearing is set for Friday, August 16, giving the state until next Monday to file the necessary affidavits.