West Bengal Reduces OBC Reservation for 66 Castes from 17% to 7%

MP, May 20, 2026, Kolkata : The state Backward Classes Welfare Department has issued a notification reducing OBC reservation for 66 castes in West Bengal from 17 per cent to 7 per cent, following the state Cabinet’s decision on Monday to temporarily withdraw OBC reservation benefits for Muslim communities.

During the Left Front regime and later under the Trinamool Congress government, OBC reservation in the state had been increased to 17 per cent and divided into OBC-A and OBC-B categories.

However, the state’s first BJP-led government has argued that the expanded reservation structure suffered from serious legal and survey-related inconsistencies.

According to a senior Nabanna official, the revised policy is aimed at ensuring that “genuinely backward Hindu communities” receive their rightful benefits.

A key feature of the new policy is the temporary removal of Muslim groups from the OBC list. Several Muslim communities had earlier been included in both the OBC-A and OBC-B categories.

The Calcutta High Court had earlier struck down the inclusion of multiple Muslim groups in the OBC list, terming the process unconstitutional. The matter subsequently reached the Supreme Court.

According to the present government, the Constitution does not permit religion-based reservation.

Officials said the decision to suspend OBC reservation benefits for Muslim communities was taken in compliance with court observations and legal obligations.

The revised rules will come into immediate effect for government recruitment and admissions to higher educational institutions across the state.