Offline bundle
Research Home
Use this single HTML as a source-led research desk. It connects statutory background, notifications, certificate and roster records, hearing notices, policy reports, litigation, and the PDFs that support each claim.
84PDF sources bundled locally across notifications, hearings, reports, and litigation records
17hearing / public notice PDFs bundled locally
6policy/process sources bundled for context
5priority evidence gaps and follow-ups tracked
JSONrenamed PDF manifest for local or cloud use
GitHubRepository for the OBC document bundle
Start here
Find a document, rule, community, or case
Search across the timeline, case tracker, and document corpus. Results open the relevant tab and preserve the underlying source trail.
Documented position in this bundle
Notification No. 944-BCW/MR-23/2026 withdraws the 2025 package. Notification No. 945-BCW/MR-23/2026 lists 66 classes and states the 7% reservation position. Litigation can affect implementation, so read the linked case record before relying on a summary.
Policy Basis
Use the Mandal, Sachar, and West Bengal Muslim OBC reports to understand backwardness criteria, Muslim OBC context, and evidence requirements.
What remains to verify
The strongest missing layer is the Commission record behind the 2025 hearing and survey process: class-wise advice, survey data, and benchmark memos.
Public data collection forms
These public forms are linked here so visitors can share evidence, observations, or feedback related to the OBC record.
| Need | Best tab | What you will find |
|---|---|---|
| Understand the OBC category | OBC Basics | Plain-language explanation of backward classes, Muslim OBCs, and evidence logic. |
| Judge backwardness scientifically | Methods | Indicators, data sources, caste census logic, representation data, benefits, risks, and missing evidence. |
| Follow a notification trail | Timeline | Chronological entries with related-document links and source PDFs. |
| Search inside extracted PDFs | Corpus | Filterable document table with PDF links and text preview buttons. |
| Add court records | Cases | Case tracker, issue matrix, party/court fields, orders, affected notifications, and evidence gaps. |
| Check public-hearing notices | Evidence | Hearing dates, times, named communities, and local notice PDFs. |
| Add or audit files | Report a source / Framework | A guided report route, structured fields, and the local PDF inventory. |
Portable bundle: source links use relative paths, so this page works from the repository, GitHub Pages, or a downloaded folder. Court-text mirror PDFs are retained locally for offline reading and always keep a link to their original mirror or official source.
About this project
A source-led record of West Bengal OBC policy
This independent research bundle brings together publicly available notifications, statutes, public-hearing notices, policy reports, and selected court records concerning Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in West Bengal.
Make the record easier to examine
The project is designed as a chronological research desk. It helps readers trace a claim from a timeline entry to a notification, a hearing notice, a policy source, or a court record without treating summaries as a substitute for the original document.
Policy, process, and litigation
The bundle covers the statutory framework, State OBC-list changes, reservation and roster records, the 2025–26 notification sequence, public hearings, and a growing litigation tracker. It does not claim to be a complete government archive.
Research aid, not legal advice
Some records are text-extracted or copied from publicly accessible mirrors. Court status, operative directions, and notification validity should always be confirmed from the issuing authority or the relevant court.
| How records are handled | What this means |
|---|---|
| Local source files | Relative links keep the site usable from a downloaded folder or GitHub Pages. |
| Source labels | Entries distinguish official downloads, scanned/text-extracted records, and mirror copies that need verification. |
| Large case bundles | Very large filings are catalogued but not added by default; this keeps Git history and page delivery practical. |
| Corrections and additions | Use the Framework tab’s fields to record date, authority, status, source URL, local file, and affected notification/case. |
Source principle: where this site summarizes a record, open the linked document and treat the primary source as controlling. The project does not endorse any political position or make findings about any community.
What OBC Means
OBC is a constitutional-administrative category for socially and educationally backward classes. It is not a religion quota, and it is not limited to Hindu caste names.
OBC is about backward classes
“Other Backward Classes” refers to communities or classes identified as socially and educationally backward and inadequately represented. In practice, state lists use caste, sub-caste, occupation, community, conversion history, and social location as evidence markers, but the legal category is backward class.
“Muslims have no caste, so they cannot be OBC”
That is too simple. Islam as a faith does not prescribe caste, but South Asian Muslim society has long had socially ranked occupational and descent communities. Groups such as Jolah/Ansari-Momin, Fakir/Sain, Nashya-Sekh, Pahadia Muslim, Rayeen/Kunjra, Hajjam, and Chowduli appear in West Bengal OBC records because the class or community was treated as backward, not because reservation was given to all Muslims.
Community evidence still matters
The useful question is not whether a whole religion has caste. The useful question is whether a particular class has evidence of social and educational backwardness, inadequate representation, and proper process through the Commission, survey, hearing, or notification route. This page keeps those source trails visible.
Scientific Methods for Determining Backwardness
A fair OBC decision should be evidence-led: define the class, measure social and educational disadvantage, test representation in public institutions, publish the data trail, and periodically review whether the benefit is reaching the intended class.
Backwardness is class-specific
The correct unit is not an entire religion or a vague surname group. It is the specific caste, sub-caste, occupational community, converted community, or locally known class whose disadvantage can be measured. West Bengal records show this logic: entries such as Bhangi (Muslim), Sekh/Seikh, Kazi/Kaji/Quazi/Quaji (Muslim), and SBCW-165 Category-B serial 97 are document-specific, not blanket religious reservation.
Use multiple indicators, not one slogan
The Mandal framework grouped indicators into social, educational, and economic heads and used a weighted score. That is the right spirit: no single number proves backwardness by itself. A robust method checks school completion, literacy, dropout, landholding, occupation, housing, income, social stigma, manual or hereditary work, and exclusion from public posts.
Reservation depends on inadequate representation
Backwardness is incomplete without representation data. Departments should publish class-wise and category-wise counts in recruitment, promotions where relevant, educational admissions, scholarships, hostels, certificate issuance, and pending vacancies. Without this, the public cannot test whether a class is under-represented or whether benefits are being captured by better-placed groups.
| Evidence question | Data needed | Good method | Misuse risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is the class socially backward? | Local social status, traditional occupation, endogamy, residential segregation, stigma, dependence on low-status work, field verification. | Household survey plus public objections, local body verification, and Commission hearing notes. | Relying only on political claims, pressure groups, or community labels without field evidence. |
| Is it educationally backward? | Literacy, school completion, dropout, higher education participation, gender split, district-wise variation. | Compare class data with state average, district average, SC/ST/OBC averages, and non-reserved groups. | Using only poverty data or only one district while ignoring education gaps elsewhere. |
| Is it economically vulnerable? | Landholding, income band, occupation, housing, credit access, asset ownership, informal work, migration. | Use economic indicators as supporting evidence, then apply creamy-layer exclusion to avoid elite capture. | Treating poverty alone as OBC backwardness; poverty policy and backward-class policy overlap but are not identical. |
| Is representation inadequate? | Class/category-wise share in government jobs, educational admissions, public bodies, certificates, applications, selections, and vacancies. | Publish department-wise annual data with sanctioned posts, filled posts, applicant pool, selected candidates, and backlog. | Declaring under-representation without publishing denominators or without separating applicants from selections. |
| Did the process allow correction? | Public notice, hearing date, objection register, evidence submitted, Commission advice, reasoned order. | Link every notification to hearing notices, survey records, advice reports, and final reasons. | Fast notification without a visible evidence trail, which later becomes vulnerable in court and public debate. |
Why Caste Census and Departmental Data Matter
A caste or class census is not useful because identity labels are magic. It is useful because policy needs denominators. Representation data is the numerator. Together they let the public ask whether reservation is proportionate, under-inclusive, over-inclusive, or captured.
Population denominator
If a class has no reliable population estimate, every percentage argument becomes guesswork. The 2012 panchayat survey documents in this bundle show the practical problem: officials were instructed to enumerate households, carry the backward-class list, publish draft lists, and process claims and objections. That kind of procedure is the beginning of auditable data.
Representation numerator
Departments should publish annual tables showing how many people from each OBC category and, where legally and administratively possible, each listed class are present in services and admissions. This is how one can distinguish genuine inadequate representation from a merely loud demand.
Outcome audit
Reservation should be checked against outcomes: who received certificates, who applied, who was selected, who remained excluded, which districts lagged, and whether the creamy layer is filtering better-off households. Good data protects deserving groups and exposes misuse.
| Real example in this file | What it teaches | Data still needed |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Category-A / Category-B split | Classification can separate "more backward" from "backward" classes, but the public needs the underlying scoring or reasons to evaluate placement. | Class-wise scores, criteria sheet, Commission advice, and representation table used for A/B placement. |
| 2012 panchayat backward-class survey instructions | The PRD order trail is a strong real example: it required GP constituency-wise survey units, Census/SECC/electoral roll reference records, local enquiry, draft publication, claims and objections, final publication, and software-based compilation. | Final constituency/GP/block/district population tables, filled Annexure-C/D/E compilations, objection disposal registers, and the published final household lists. |
| 2025 public hearing notices | Hearings show that process existed, but notice alone does not prove backwardness. | Attendance, submissions, survey findings, Commission reasons, and the class-wise advice behind each recommendation. |
| 2026 withdrawal of 2025 notifications | A weak or disputed evidence trail can destabilize policy and create uncertainty for beneficiaries and administrators. | Clear public explanation of which evidence failed, which records remain valid, and what fresh process will replace them. |
Good Uses and Misuses of OBC Reservation
Correcting structural exclusion
When applied to classes with proven social and educational backwardness and inadequate representation, reservation opens access to jobs, education, hostels, scholarships, and public legitimacy. It can convert invisible occupational communities into recognized citizens with a measurable route into public institutions.
Forcing the state to measure society
A serious OBC process requires surveys, hearings, lists, objections, certificate rules, and roster data. That can improve governance beyond reservation itself because the state must publish who is excluded, where, and why.
Elite capture and vote-bank listing
Misuse happens when powerful subgroups enter without evidence, when creamy-layer rules are weak, when politically useful communities are added quickly, or when no one publishes outcomes. This harms genuinely backward classes because the benefit pool is diluted and public trust falls.
What do we lack more? In this bundle, the largest gap is not the final notifications. It is the underlying data: class-wise population denominators, class-wise representation in departments and admissions, Commission advice reports, benchmark survey tables, hearing records, objection-disposal registers, and annual outcome audits. The next best improvement would be a public evidence matrix linking every listed class to population, education, occupation, representation, hearing, Commission advice, notification, and later review.
Policy Reports & Backwardness Criteria
These are not West Bengal notification files, but they explain the policy architecture used to understand OBC identification, Muslim OBCs, affirmative action, and evidence requirements.
Criteria for identifying socially and educationally backward classes
The Mandal Commission is the baseline framework for OBC policy. Its relevant section groups backwardness indicators under social, educational, and economic heads, uses a weighted score, and treats 11 points out of 22 as the threshold in its survey method. It also notes that caste-based indicators needed a separate approach for non-Hindu backward communities.
- Use here: evaluate whether a notification or class-wise report explains social, educational, and economic backwardness.
- Relevant chapters: socio-educational field survey, criteria of backwardness, identification of OBCs, recommendations.
Muslim OBCs and affirmative action
The Sachar report supplies the national evidence layer for Muslim social, economic, and educational conditions. Chapter 10 is especially relevant because it treats Muslim OBCs as a distinct analytical category and compares education, employment, poverty, landholding, and access to entitlements.
- Use here: distinguish religious identity from backwardness evidence and locate Muslim OBC disadvantage in measurable indicators.
- Relevant chapter: “The Muslim OBCs and Affirmative Action.”
Muslim OBCs in West Bengal
This local research note links Mandal, Sachar, and West Bengal lists. It discusses Muslim OBC population estimates, classification issues, implementation problems, and the state’s Category-A/Category-B framework.
- Use here: contextualize West Bengal-specific Muslim OBC entries and gaps in identification or benefit delivery.
- Relevant sections: Muslim OBC population, proforma/listing in West Bengal, implementation problems.
Central OBC advice concerning West Bengal
This 80-page local compilation begins with National Commission for Backward Classes advice concerning West Bengal communities. It is included as a source collection for Central-list context; it does not itself determine the current State OBC list.
- Use here: trace Central Commission advice and compare it carefully with State notifications.
- Source care: locally preserved scan; confirm the original NCBC record before relying on individual pages.
Block-level evidence template
The West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes proforma asks for block-wise population, social background, education, occupation, representation, and comparative local information. It is a useful example of the evidence trail that should accompany a class-identification exercise.
Sub-categorisation within OBCs
This NCBC report was prepared for the Central List and considers methods, categories, and related issues for sub-categorisation. It is national policy context, not authority for the West Bengal State List or a substitute for a State notification.
- Use here: compare proposed sub-categorisation methods with the evidence and process used in State exercises.
- Source care: local scan dated 2 March 2015; verify the primary NCBC publication before relying on specific recommendations.
Reading note: green items reflect the latest position found in the local documents. Red items were expressly withdrawn by Notification No. 944-BCW/MR-23/2026. Amber items are scanned PDFs; where a scanned item is described, the detail is limited to what is text-extracted from the source PDF.
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1993
Statutory basis for OBC lists
The later notifications repeatedly rely on the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993, especially the definitions of backward classes and lists, and the Commission's advisory role.
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13 Jul 1994
Founding reservation order: 5% for Backward Classes, with a creamy-layer schedule
Order No. 347-TW/EC, dated 13 July 1994 (Scheduled Castes & Tribes Welfare Department), made the first reservation of 5% of vacancies filled by direct recruitment in state government service, local/statutory bodies, government-majority corporations, universities, aided schools, and the public sector, in favour of Backward Classes notified under the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993. Clause (b) attached a detailed exclusion Schedule (Categories I–VI: constitutional posts, Class I/II officers, armed forces, professional class, property owners, and an income/wealth test then set at Rs. 2.5 lakh/year) — an early version of what later came to be called the "creamy layer" test. This order was later amended to raise the percentage (see 6 Nov 1997) and was still being cited as the source of the creamy-layer schedule in certificates issued in 2001.
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13 Jul 1994
First OBC list notified: 14 classes
Notification No. 346-TW/EC, dated 13 July 1994, issued the same day as the reservation order, specified the founding list of Backward Classes under section 2(a)/2(c) of the 1993 Act: Kapali, Baishya Kapali, Kurmi, Sutradhar, Karmakar, Kumbhakar, Swarnakar, Teli, Napit, Yogi-Nath, Goala-Gope, Moira-Modak (Halwai), Barujibi, Satchasi. Every later addition notification (see entries below) is framed as "further" to this list.
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27 Jul 1994
Certificate machinery set up: SDOs as issuing authority
Circular No. 374(71)-TW/EC/MR-103/94, dated 27 July 1994, circulated the two 13 July orders to all District Magistrates and Sub-Divisional Officers and directed that reservation be maintained in direct recruitment as specified. It made the Sub-Divisional Officer of the concerned sub-division the competent authority to issue Backward Classes certificates (District Magistrate, South 24-Parganas, for Calcutta town), applying the existing SC/ST certificate procedure mutatis mutandis. It enclosed the first application form and certificate proforma.
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13 Dec 1994
List extended: 12 more classes, including Jolah (Ansari-Momin)
Notification No. 705-TW/EC, dated 13 December 1994, added Malakar, Tanti, Kansari, Shankhakar, Keori/Koiri, Raju, Tamboli/Tamali, Nagar, Karani, Dhanuk, Sarak, and Jolah (Ansari-Momin) to the Backward Classes list. This is the first entry naming a Muslim weaving community (Jolah/Ansari-Momin) in the notified list.
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6 Apr 1995
First 100-point roster for BC quota
Order No. 261-TW/EC, dated 6 April 1995, directed that a separate 100-point roster be maintained for implementing the 5% BC quota, reserving points 9, 29, 49, 69, and 89 for Backward Classes, and named the SDO (District Magistrate/ADM, South 24-Parganas, for Calcutta) as the certifying authority.
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12 May 1995
List extended: Roniwar, Kosta/Kostha, and SC-converted Christians
Notification No. 370-TW/EC, dated 12 May 1995, added three further classes: Roniwar, Kosta/Kostha, and Christians converted from Scheduled Castes. This is the first entry naming a Christian-convert category in the OBC list.
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26 Jun 1995
Certificate form revised for Central acceptance
Circular No. 559(71)-TW/EC/MR-166/93, dated 26 June 1995, records that Government of India establishments were rejecting SDO-issued certificates because they lacked the Government of India circular number. A revised certificate proforma was prescribed, explicitly requiring the certificate to cite both the State notification and, where applicable, the Government of India resolution/notification number.
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1 Dec 1995
List extended: 9 Nepali/Himalayan-origin classes
Notification No. 1179-TW/EC, dated 1 December 1995, added Bhujel, Newar, Mangar (Thapa, Rana), Nembang, Sampang, Bungchheng, Thami, Jogi, and Dhimal. The bracketed sub-groups "Thapa" and "Rana" under Mangar were later omitted in 2001 (see 10 Jul 2001).
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8 Mar 1996
List extended: Fakir, Sain among 6 new classes
Notification No. 183-TW/EC, dated 8 March 1996, added Lakhera/Laahera, Fakir, Sain, Kahar, Tamang, Betkar (Bentkar), and Chitrakar. Fakir and Sain are Muslim mendicant/devotional-lineage communities.
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10 Jan 1997
3-year upper-age relaxation granted
Memorandum No. 378-F, dated 10 January 1997 (Finance Department, Audit Branch), granted candidates belonging to the notified Backward Classes a relaxation of three years over the prescribed upper age-limit for direct recruitment across state government, local/statutory bodies, government-majority corporations, universities, aided schools, and the public sector.
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11 Feb 1997
Entry 11 amended: "Goala-Gope" expanded to include Ahir/Yadav synonyms
Notification No. 92-TW/EC, dated 11 February 1997, amended the 13 July 1994 list, substituting serial no. 11 to read "Goala-Gope (Pallav Gope, Ballav Gope, Yadav Gope, Gope, Ahir and Yadav)" — folding several synonymous/allied names into the single notified entry.
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11 Feb 1997
List extended: 8 more classes
Notification No. 93-TW/EC, dated 11 February 1997, added Hawari, Turha, Bhar, Dhunia, Khandait, Patidar, Gangot, and Kasai, in continuation of the 8 March 1996 list.
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9 Jul 1997
Six West Bengal classes accepted into the Central OBC list
Circular No. 421(35)-TW/EC, dated 9 July 1997, forwarded Ministry of Welfare (Govt. of India) Resolution No. 12011/44/96-BCC, dated 6 December 1996, which added six West Bengal communities to the Central List of OBCs: Nagar, Karani, Raju, Keori/Koiri, Sarak, and Kosta/Kostha — communities the State had already notified vide 705-TW/EC (13.12.1994) and 370-TW/EC (12.5.1995). Certificate-issuing authorities were told to cite both the State and Central notification numbers going forward.
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6 Nov 1997
Reservation increased from 5% to 7%
Order No. 1056-BCW/EC/MR-302/97, dated 6 November 1997, amended the enabling paragraph of the 13 July 1994 notification, substituting "7%" for "5%" as the reservation quantum for Backward Classes. This is the department's first order under the renamed "Backward Classes Welfare Department" letterhead (previously Scheduled Castes & Tribes Welfare Department).
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6 Nov 1997
List extended: Hele/Halia/Chasi-Kaibbartta
Notification No. 1054-BCW/EC/MR-302/97, issued the same day as the 7% order, added a single class: Hele/Halia/Chasi-Kaibbartta.
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1 Mar 1999
List extended: Nashya Sekh, Pahadia Muslim among 7 new classes
Notification No. 84-BCW/RC/MR-302/97, dated 1 March 1999, added Banshi Barman, Nashya Sekh, Pahadia Muslim, Khen, Sukli, Sunuwar, and Bhar Bhuja — the first explicit "Muslim" qualifier attached to a community name in this list (Pahadia Muslim), alongside Nashya Sekh.
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25 Mar 1999
SC/ST model roster revised — BC points folded into the "General" slots
Order No. 134-BCW/RC, dated 25 March 1999 (Reservation Cell), superseded all previous rosters and prescribed a fresh SC/ST 100-point model roster under the West Bengal SC/ST (Reservation of Vacancies) Act, 1976. Paragraph 2 directed that within this roster, the 9th, 19th, 29th, 49th, 59th, 69th, and 89th vacancies shown as "General" be reserved for Backward Classes — i.e., the BC quota was implemented as carve-outs inside the combined roster rather than a wholly separate one.
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27 May 1999
Reference date for permanent residence fixed at 15 March 1993
Memorandum No. 1228-BCW, dated 27 May 1999, resolved confusion among certificate-issuing authorities by fixing 15 March 1993 (the date the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes was notified) as the reference date for determining permanent residential status of non-SC/ST Backward Class applicants. A person residing permanently in the state "on or before" that date qualifies, subject to belonging to a notified class and meeting other criteria. (The words "on or before" were substituted for an original "and from" by the corrigendum below.)
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27 Jul 1999
No de-reservation without State Government sanction
Notification No. 2004-BCW/MRD-238/98, dated 27 July 1999, laid down that a vacancy reserved for Backward Classes must ordinarily remain unfilled if no qualified BC candidate is available, rather than being de-reserved by the appointing authority. De-reservation is possible only on reference to, and by order of, the State Government, and even then the reservation must be carried forward to the next unreserved vacancy.
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28 Feb 2000
Corrigendum: "on or before" replaces "on and from"
Corrigendum No. 944-BCW, dated 28 February 2000, corrected Memo No. 1228-BCW (27 May 1999) so that the residence cut-off reads "on or before" 15 March 1993, replacing the earlier "on and from" wording — removing an ambiguity about whether later-settled residents could ever qualify.
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3 Mar 2000
Age band fixed for issuing OBC certificates: 18 to max recruitment age
Memorandum No. 1134-BCW/MR-105/95, dated 3 March 2000, prescribed for the first time an age restriction on issuing Caste Identification Certificates to OBC applicants: certificates would not be issued to minors (below 18) or to those who had crossed the maximum prescribed age for direct recruitment, since the certificate's only use was said to be reservation in direct recruitment.
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15 May 2000
Clarified: age restriction applies only to OBC, not SC/ST
Fax Message No. 2171(17)-BCW/MR-105/95, dated 15 May 2000, clarified to all District Magistrates that the age-limit restriction under Memo 1134-BCW applied only to Other Backward Classes certificate applicants, and expressly did not apply to certificates issued to SC and ST candidates.
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7 Jul 2000
Proviso added: certificates allowed above 40 for scheme benefits
Memorandum No. 2880-BCW/MR-105/95, dated 7 July 2000, added a proviso to Memo 1134-BCW permitting OBC certificates to be issued to applicants above the age of 40 where they satisfy the issuing authority that the certificate is needed to avail benefits under a specific State or Central government scheme (e.g., loans), rather than for direct recruitment.
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12 Apr 2001
Minimum certificate age lowered from 18 to 16
Memorandum No. 1632-BCW/MR-105/95, dated 12 April 2001, lowered the minimum age for issuing OBC certificates from 18 to 16 years, citing Medical Council of India regulation changes allowing OBC mark-concession admission to MBBS from age 17 (on or before 31 December of the admission year). The order was deemed effective from 3 January 2001.
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21 Jun 2001
Merit-qualifying BC candidates not deducted from the reserved quota
Order No. 2489-BCW/MR-389/99, dated 21 June 2001, directed that when computing the reserved vacancies available to Backward Classes, candidates from that class who qualify on merit for an unreserved vacancy shall not be deducted from the reserved quota for that post — i.e., BC merit selections are treated as additional to, not a substitute for, the reserved seats.
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10 Jul 2001
List extended: Dewan, Rai (including Chamling)
Notification No. 2927-BCW/MR-436/99, dated 10 July 2001, added Dewan and Rai (including Chamling) to the list, in continuation of the 1 March 1999 notification.
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10 Jul 2001
Amendment: "Mangar" treated as one class, sub-names dropped
Notification No. 2928-BCW/MR-436/99, dated 10 July 2001, amended the 1 December 1995 notification on the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes' recommendation, omitting the bracketed sub-classes "(Thapa, Rana)" after "Mangar" at serial no. 3, so that Mangar as a whole is treated as a single backward class rather than being read as limited to those sub-groups.
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30 Apr 2010
Comprehensive OBC certificate guidelines issued
Memorandum No. 1464-BCW/MR-59/10 set out procedures, competent and recommending authorities, application handling, hearings, and supporting-document requirements for OBC certificates. The source is superseded by the 2015 updated guidelines.
Source file
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24 Sep 2010
OBCs split into Category-A and Category-B
Notification No. 6309-BCW/MR-84/10, dated 24 September 2010, categorised the then OBC list into Category-A "More Backward" and Category-B "Backward" after referring to the Commission survey report. The visible pages list 56 Category-A classes and 52 Category-B classes.
Source file
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24 Sep 2010
Reservation raised to 17%
Order No. 6312-BCW/MR-84/10 increased total OBC reservation to 17%, split as 10% for Category-A and 7% for Category-B. It expressly refers back to 347-TW/EC/M-6/82(I), 1056-BCW/EC/MR-302/97, and 6309-BCW/MR-84/10.
Source file
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24 Sep 2010
100-point roster aligned to the 2010 A/B structure
Order No. 6320-BCW/MR-84/10 publishes a model 100-point roster after the 2010 categorisation and reservation changes. It is a historical implementation record and must be read with later statutory, notification, and roster changes.
Source file
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10 Oct 2012
Community inclusion: Sekh/Seikh
Notification No. 845-BCW/MR-147/12, dated 10 October 2012, continues Notification No. 1673-BCW/MR-209/11 and categorises Sekh/Seikh under OBC Category-A.
Source file
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11 May 2012
35 new communities included
Notification No. 1673-BCW/MR-209/11, dated 11 May 2012 and published in the Kolkata Gazette on 22 May 2012, continues Notification No. 6309-BCW/MR-84/10. The visible list places 9 communities in OBC Category-A and 26 communities in OBC Category-B.
Source file
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Apr-Jul 2012
Panchayat survey guideline trail issued
The Panchayat & Rural Development Department first ordered a statewide survey by No. 2572/PN/O/1/1S-5/2012 dated 25 April 2012 because Gram Panchayat constituency-wise Backward Class population figures were not otherwise published. Later clarifications covered 100% household visits, use of Census/SECC/electoral roll reference records, local enquiry, draft and final publication, claims and objections, data entry, and the 143-class reference list after 35 new classes were notified.
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1 Mar 2013
Amendment to 2012 inclusion notification
Notification No. 762-BCW/MR-116/12, dated 1 March 2013, amends Notification No. 1673-BCW/MR-209/11. The visible amendment substitutes Category-B serial 11 as Sadhukhan (Muslim), marks serial 20 as Deleted, and substitutes serial 22 as Shah (Shah/Shahaji).
Source file
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25 Mar 2013
Reservation Act reference document
This is the Kolkata Gazette publication of West Bengal Act XXXIX of 2012: The West Bengal Backward Classes (Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012, published on 25 March 2013. It contains definitions, reservation provisions, exclusion rules, and Schedule III roster positions.
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12 Sep 2013
Amendment at serial no. 11
Notification No. 3182-BCW/MR-127/13, dated 12 September 2013, substitutes serial 11 with Goala, Gope (Pallav Gope, Ballav Gope, Yadav Gope, Gope, Ahir and Yadav).
Source file
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29 Aug 2014
OBC list amendment across A and B categories
Order No. 2770-BCW/MR-116/12, dated 29 August 2014, records that the Commission recommended 15 new classes: 9 as More Backward (Category-A) and 6 as Backward (Category-B). It also corrects 24 existing entries. The visible additions are A-66 to A-75 and B-79 to B-84.
Source file
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16 Jan 2015
Category-B serial 85: Kalal/Iraqi
Order No. 183-BCW/MR-209/11, dated 16 January 2015, continues Order No. 2770-BCW/MR-116/12 and inserts 85. Kalal/Iraqi under Backward (Category-B).
Source file
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1 Jun 2015
Additional A/B serial entries
Order No. 2102-BCW/MR-209/11, dated 1 June 2015, continues Order No. 183-BCW/MR-209/11 and inserts Category-A serials 76 Kalwar, 77 Atta (Muslim), 78 Khansama, and Category-B serials 86 Sarala/Sarwala (Muslim), 87 Bagani (Muslim), 88 Bhandari (Muslim).
Source file
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27 Jul 2015
Updated OBC certificate guidelines issued
Memorandum No. 1204-SBCW/MR-67/10 supersedes the 2010 certificate guidelines and compiles the then-applicable procedure for issuing OBC certificates. It is an administrative source from 2015; check later rules, notifications, and court directions before treating any step as current.
Source file
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4 Feb 2016
Entries added around A 79-80 and B 89-91
Order No. 468-BCW/MR-209/11 (Pt.), dated 4 February 2016, adds 79 Hawaikar (Muslim) and 80 Khajonkriya/Khajankriya (Muslim) under More Backward (Category-A), and 89 Katha (Muslim), 90 Mudi/Mehedi (Muslim), and 91 Sahana (Muslim) under Backward (Category-B). It also corrects A-35 and A-69 entries.
Source file
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26 Feb 2016
Category-B serial 92: Kazi/Kaji/Quazi/Quaji Muslim
Order No. 773-BCW/MR-209/11, dated 26 February 2016, inserts 92. Kazi/Kaji/Quazi/Quaji (Muslim) under Backward (Category-B), after serial 91. It also substitutes the B-61 entry from Gazi (Muslim) to Gazi (Muslim), Par (Muslim).
Source file
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26 Dec 2016
Category-B serial 93: Kotal Muslim
Order No. 4283-BCW/MR-209/11 (Pt. I), dated 26 December 2016, corrects entries in both categories and inserts 93. Kotal (Muslim) under Backward (Category-B).
Source file
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26 Dec 2016
Category-B serial 94: Gurung
Order No. 4282-BCW/MR-118/16, dated 26 December 2016, inserts 94. Gurung under Backward (Category-B), after serial 93.
Source file
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7 Jun 2017
Category-A serial 81 reference
Order No. 1905-BCW/MR-19/17, dated 7 June 2017, inserts 81. Hazari (Muslim) under More Backward (Category-A), after serial 80.
Source file
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14 Sep 2017
Category-B serial 24 amended: Khen
Notification No. 3230-BCW/MR-116/12 changes Category-B serial 24 to Khen (Non-Bania category).
Source file
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14 Sep 2017
Category-B entries 11 and 17 amended
Notification No. 3231-BCW/MR-74/17 updates Category-B serial 11 to Scheduled Castes converts to Christianity and their progeny, and serial 17 to Hele/Halia/Chasi-Kaibartta, Das Kaibartta.
Source file
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5 Dec 2017
Category-B serial 95: Layek (Muslim)
Notification No. 4144-BCW/MR-92/17 adds Layek (Muslim) as Category-B serial 95.
Source file
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28 Mar 2018
Category-B serial 96: Khas
Notification No. 1132-BCW/MR-05/17 adds Khas as Category-B serial 96.
Source file
-
27 Jun 2018
Category-B serial 97: Shikder/Shikdar/Sikder/Sikdar (Muslim)
Order No. SBCW-165/MR-29/18 adds Shikder/Shikdar/Sikder/Sikdar (Muslim) as Category-B serial 97.
Source file
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11 Jul 2022
Chowdhury/Chowdhuri (Muslim) added as Category-B serial 98
Notification No. 2019-BCW/MR-30/2020 added "Chowdhury/Chowdhuri (Muslim)" under Backward Category-B.
Source file
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11 Jul 2022
Bairagi/Baishnab added as Category-B serial 99
Notification No. 2020-BCW/MR-03/2021 added "Bairagi/Baishnab" under Backward Category-B.
Source file
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22 May 2024
Calcutta High Court judgment becomes the turning point
The 2025 and 2026 notifications repeatedly refer to the High Court judgment/order in WPO 60 of 2011 and connected matters. The 2026 notification says the 66 pre-2010 classes were not interfered with, while the 10%/7% A/B distribution was struck down.
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18 Mar 2025
Supreme Court proceedings referenced
Notification No. 917-BCW/MR-33/2025 says the Supreme Court recorded the fresh exercise examining backward classes and fixed the appeals for hearing in July 2025.
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29 Apr 2025
Commission recommends fresh sub-categorisation approach
Notification No. 917 says the Commission's 462nd meeting recommended two categories: More Backward (Category-A) and Backward (Category-B), based on benchmark scores.
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8 May 2025
Fresh OBC Category-A / Category-B framework notified
Notification No. 917-BCW/MR-33/2025 sub-categorised the State OBC list into Category-A "More Backward" and Category-B "Backward". It expressly cites the 22 May 2024 High Court judgment, the pending Supreme Court appeals, the Supreme Court order dated 18 March 2025, and the Commission recommendation from its 462nd meeting on 29 April 2025. This notification was later withdrawn on 18 May 2026.
Source file
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27 May 2025
64 of the 66 pre-2010 classes sub-categorised
Notification No. 1056-BCW/MR-33/2025 (Pt. I) placed 64 of the 66 pre-2010 classes into Category-A and Category-B after a benchmark survey by the Bureau of Applied Economics and Statistics and Cultural Research Institute. Later text says this broke down as 14 Category-A and 50 Category-B. This notification was withdrawn in 2026.
Source file
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27 May 2025
51 additional communities included and categorised
Notification No. 1057-BCW/MR-38/2025 included 51 communities in the State OBC list and placed them into Category-A and Category-B. Later text says this was 27 Category-A and 24 Category-B. The public-hearing notices in the local PUBLIC HEARING folder correspond to this procedural layer. This notification was withdrawn in 2026.
Source file
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3 Jun 2025
Reservation raised again to 17%
Notification No. 1106-BCW/MR-33/2025 stated that there were then 115 OBC classes: 41 Category-A and 74 Category-B. It raised reservation to 17%, with 10% for Category-A and 7% for Category-B. This was withdrawn in 2026.
Source file
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3 Jun 2025
25 more communities included and categorised
Notification No. 1107-BCW/MR-38/2025 included 25 additional communities and sub-categorised them. The same PDF set also contains Corrigendum Notification No. 1172-BCW/MR-38/2025 dated 12 June 2025, correcting serial numbers in the Category-B list. Both were withdrawn in 2026.
Source file
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12 Jun 2025
Corrigendum to the 2025 inclusion notification
Corrigendum Notification No. 1172-BCW/MR-38/2025 dated 12 June 2025 is included in the 1107-BCW PDF. It corrects serial numbers for Muslim Penchi, Shikari/Sikari (Muslim), Sadgope/Sadgop, and Nepali Brahmin in the Category-B list. Notification No. 944-BCW/MR-23/2026 later withdraws it along with the main 2025 notifications.
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14 May 2026
Re-verification of caste certificates issued since 2011 instructed
Letter No. 1033/Secy/BCW, dated 14 May 2026, asks District Magistrates to advise the issuing authorities to re-verify caste certificates issued since 2011, including related second-generation certificates, under the applicable norms and statutory provisions. Its stated scope is broader than OBC certificates: it refers to SC, ST, and OBC certificate totals and to certificates issued during Duare Sarkar.
Source file
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18 May 2026
2025 notification package withdrawn
Notification No. 944-BCW/MR-23/2026 withdraws, with immediate effect, Notifications 917, 1056, 1057, 1106, 1107, and Corrigendum 1172. This is the clean break from the 2025 expansion/categorisation structure.
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18 May 2026
Current local-document position: 66 classes, 7% reservation
Notification No. 945-BCW/MR-23/2026 states that the State List of OBCs consists of 66 classes to avail 7% reservation in services and posts under the Government of West Bengal.
Source files and 66-class list
Classes listed: Kapali; Baishya Kapali; Kurmi; Sutradhar; Karmakar; Kumbhakar; Swarnakar; Teli/Kolu; Napit; Yogi/Nath; Goala/Gope including Pallav Gope, Ballav Gope, Yadav Gope, Gope, Ahir and Yadav; Moira/Halwai and Modak/Halwai; Barujibi; Satchasi; Malakar; Jolah/Ansari-Momin; Kansari; Tanti/Tantubaya; Dhanuk; Shankakar; Keori/Koiri; Raju; Nagar; Karani; Sarak; Tamboli/Tamali; Kosta/Kostha; Roniwar/Rauniyar; Scheduled Castes converts to Christianity and their progeny; Lakhera/Laahera; Fakir/Sain; Kahar; Betkar/Bentkar; Chitrakar; Bhujel; Newar; Mangar; Nembang; Sampang; Bungchheng; Thami; Jogi; Dhimal; Hawari/Dhobi other than those included in the SC list; Bhar; Khandait; Gangot; Turha; Dhunia; Patidar; Kasai; Hele/Halia/Chasi-Kaibartta/Das Kaibartta; Bansi Barman; Nashya-Sekh; Pahadia Muslim; Khen (Non-Bania category); Sukli; Sunuwar; Bharbhuja; Dewan; Rai including Chamling; Rayeen/Kunjra; Shershabadia; Devanga; Hajjam (Muslim); Chowduli (Muslim).
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18 May 2026
Roster modification instructed
The Secretary, Backward Classes Welfare Department, wrote to the Labour Department enclosing Notifications 944 and 945 and requesting revision of the Model 100-Point Roster in line with the fresh notification.
Source file
Litigation tracker · curated record
West Bengal OBC Litigation Timeline
This tracker separates what an order actually records from later policy action. It is a research index, not legal advice; case status must be checked with the relevant court before reliance.
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Calcutta High Court: connected OBC-list and reservation matters
WPO 60 of 2011 and connected matters, including WPA 22145 of 2010, WPO 1160 of 2013 and WPO 578 of 2012. The judgment is the legal turning point cited by the later 2025 and 2026 notifications. It should be read directly for the operative directions and the exact scope of the findings.
Bundled judgment copy (211 pp.) Mirror copy; verify against the High Court record.
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Supreme Court: Aatmadeep’s SLP paper book
SLP(C) 16936/2024, Aatmadeep v. State of West Bengal & Ors. The paper book states that it arises from the 22 May 2024 High Court judgment in WPA 8844/2020. It is a party filing, not an order of the Court.
Bundled party paper book (39 pp.) Use for pleadings context; verify every assertion against the court record.
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Supreme Court: SLP(C) 17751–17755 of 2024
State of West Bengal & Anr. v. Amal Chandra Das. The bundled official Supreme Court record of proceedings arises from the 22 May 2024 High Court judgment. Use it with the Supreme Court case-status service for the current listing and later orders.
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Supreme Court: broader connected-appeal cluster listed for final hearing
The official record groups the State’s main appeal with proceedings involving Tuhina Parvin (Diary 30078/2024), Md. Nawsad Siddique (Diary 31942/2024), Sk. Serafuddin (Diary 31944/2024), Aatmadeep (SLP(C) 16936/2024), Mustafijur Rahaman (SLP(C) 18931–18935/2024), Bengal Madrasah Education Forum (SLP(C) 18926–18930/2024), West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes (Diary 36073/2024), Md. Taiedul Islam (SLP(C) 20849/2024), and Md. Najmul Hoque (SLP(C) 29017–29021/2024). By consent, the Court listed the matters for final hearing on 28 January 2025. The official 5 May 2026 cause list still identifies this connected cluster; this evidence does not establish a final merits disposal.
Bundled official record (5 pp.) · Official 5 May 2026 cause list
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Calcutta High Court: Aatmadeep PIL and Amal Chandra Das PIL listed together
In WPA(P) 387/2024 (Aatmadeep) with WPA(P) 430/2024 (Amal Chandra Das), the Court recorded a State affidavit about implementation of the 22 May 2024 judgment and allegations that recruitment/admission bodies continued to use the struck-down OBC-A/OBC-B categories. The Court did not determine the merits in this order; it listed the matters for further consideration.
Bundled court-text mirror print (2 pp.) · Original court-text mirror Not a certified or official High Court PDF; verify against the court record.
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Calcutta High Court: WBJEE PG admission implementation order
In WPA 9132/2025, Supriya Mondal & Ors. v. State of West Bengal & Ors., concerning JEMAS PG 2024–25 admissions, the Court directed the Joint Entrance Board to identify candidates among the 66 pre-2010 classes, recast the panel at 7% OBC reservation, and complete the specified admission steps. The order was later the subject of appeals MAT 943/2025 and MAT 955/2025, referenced in the 7 August 2025 proceeding; this tracker does not treat those appeals as decided.
Bundled court-text mirror print (3 pp.) · Original court-text mirror Not a certified or official High Court PDF; verify against the court record.
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Calcutta High Court: challenge to the 2025 benchmark-survey process
The order in WPA(P) 111, 119 and 132 of 2025, with WPA(P) 430 of 2024, records challenges to the benchmark survey, the 28 February 2025 Commission memo, the 1 March 2025 district communication, and the 8 and 27 May 2025 notifications.
Bundled High Court order (13 pp.) Source copy; obtain a certified/official court copy when available.
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Supreme Court: later 2025 appeal record
SLP(C) 17528/2025, State of West Bengal v. Amal Chandra Das & Ors. The bundled official office report identifies the related 17 June 2025 High Court order. It is a procedural record, not a merits judgment.
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Supreme Court: stay of the 17 June 2025 High Court order
In SLP(C) 17422/2025, 17528/2025 and 17973–17974/2025, the Supreme Court issued notice and recorded an interim stay of the 17 June 2025 High Court judgment and order. This is an interim procedural development, not a final disposal of the underlying issues.
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Calcutta High Court: JEMAS PG contempt proceedings
The order in CPAN 1362 and 1365 of 2025 records contempt proceedings linked to implementation of the 22 May 2024 judgment and the 21 May 2025 WPA 9132 court-text mirror print. It describes the proceedings and related pending appeals; it should be read for its own operative directions and procedural setting.
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Supreme Court: interim stay in the JEMAS PG contempt appeal
In Diary Nos. 45526/2025 and 45628/2025, arising from the 7 August 2025 Calcutta High Court order in CPAN 1362/2025, the Supreme Court issued notice, stayed the impugned order until further orders, and tagged the matters with SLP(C) 17422/2025. This is an interim procedural order, not a decision on the underlying OBC issues.
Bundled Supreme Court order (2 pp.) Local source copy; verify subsequent proceedings.
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Supreme Court: connected OBC SLPs listed with applications to vacate stay
An official office report for SLP(C) 17422, 17528 and 17973–17974 of 2025 records that the matters were listed with applications for clarification/direction and for vacation of the interim stay. It also records incomplete service on specified respondents. The official 5 May 2026 cause list again lists the vacation applications. Neither record is a disposal order, and the evidence bundled here does not show that either stay was vacated or that the merits were decided.
Bundled official office report (5 pp.) · Official 5 May 2026 cause list
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Calcutta High Court: recruitment-category challenges after the 2026 reset
Orders in WPA 14695/2026 (Bistriti Parveen) and WPA 14698/2026 (Yasin Chowdhury) concern candidates who had applied as OBC-A candidates before the 18 May 2026 notifications. The Court directed an extension of the application-editing date while listing the matters for further hearing; the orders do not finally determine the merits.
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Calcutta High Court: PIL challenging the 18 May 2026 notifications
In WPA(P) 305/2026, Right and Justice Foundation & Anr. v. State of West Bengal & Ors., the PIL challenged Notifications 944 and 945 and Letter 946. The Division Bench declined to entertain the PIL, recording that the Supreme Court was already seized of the principal issues and that the State’s 18 May 2026 decision should be placed before the Supreme Court in the pending SLP.
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Calcutta High Court: Bistriti Parveen petition withdrawn
In WPA 14695/2026, Bistriti Parveen v. State of West Bengal & Ors., the petitioner stated that she had exercised the option available under the challenged 12 June 2026 notification and sought permission to withdraw. The Court dismissed the writ petition as withdrawn with liberty to file afresh, vacated any interim order, and disposed of connected applications. This is a procedural closure of that petition, not a merits ruling on the OBC classification issues.
Bundled High Court order (2 pp.) Local source copy; verify with the court record.
| Record | Forum | Issue tracked | Local evidence | Status discipline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPO 60/2011 and connected matters | Calcutta High Court | Validity/process of OBC-list and reservation actions | Bundled judgment copy | Read the operative portion; verify with court record. |
| SLP(C) 17751–17755/2024 | Supreme Court of India | Appeal from the 22 May 2024 High Court judgment | Bundled official 22 Nov 2024 order | Check latest case status before describing as pending or decided. |
| Connected 2024 SLPs/diaries | Supreme Court of India | Related appeals and interventions arising from the 22 May 2024 judgment | Bundled official 7 Jan 2025 record; official 5 May 2026 cause list | Listed for final hearing; this audit found no final merits disposal order. |
| WPA(P) 387/2024 & 430/2024 | Calcutta High Court | Implementation of the 2024 judgment in recruitment/admission processes | 21 Jan 2025 court-text mirror | Listed for further consideration; not a merits disposal. |
| WPA 9132/2025; MAT 943 & 955/2025 | Calcutta High Court | JEMAS PG 2024–25 OBC reservation and merit-list implementation | 21 May 2025 court-text mirror; 7 Aug 2025 bundled follow-up | The 21 May order was disposed of; later appeal status must be checked separately. |
| 2025 benchmark-survey challenge | Calcutta High Court | Survey process and documents underlying the 2025 exercise | Bundled 17 Jun 2025 order | Read together with the 28 Jul 2025 Supreme Court stay order. |
| SLP(C) 17422, 17528, 17973–17974/2025; Diary 45526 & 45628/2025 | Supreme Court of India | Appeals from the 17 Jun 2025 order and related JEMAS PG contempt proceeding | Bundled official 11 Mar office report; official 5 May cause list; 28 Jul / 22 Aug stay orders | Vacation-of-stay applications were listed; no later disposal order was located in this audit. |
| WPA 14695 & 14698/2026 | Calcutta High Court | Recruitment impact of the 18 May 2026 notification reset | Bundled 1 Jul orders and 8 Jul withdrawal order in WPA 14695 | WPA 14695 was withdrawn with liberty to file afresh; WPA 14698 requires a separate current-status check. |
| WPA(P) 305/2026 | Calcutta High Court | PIL challenge to Notifications 944/945 and Letter 946 | Bundled 3 Jul 2026 order | PIL dismissed because the Supreme Court was already seized of the principal issues. |
Source discipline: the local bundle now includes key 2025–26 orders, but the large Supreme Court filing bundles remain catalogued rather than published. Add later certified/official orders, then map each order to the exact notification, survey memo, recruitment process, or admission process affected.
Framework for New & Missing Entries
Use this structure whenever a new PDF, court order, hearing notice, report, or missing source is added. The goal is to keep every entry searchable, source-linked, and auditable.
1. Minimum fields for every document
- Date: ISO format, for example
2025-06-03. - Document number: notification/order/memo/case number exactly as printed.
- Document type: notification, order, corrigendum, hearing notice, court order, report, act, roster, certificate guideline.
- Status: current, withdrawn, superseded, legacy, missing, draft, or verification-needed.
- Short summary: one sentence describing legal or documentary effect.
- Source: local PDF path now, cloud URL later, plus source authority if known.
2. Evidence checks before marking complete
- Does the PDF text match the notification number, date, and printed title?
- Does it add, amend, withdraw, classify, or merely implement another document?
- What earlier document does it cite, and what later document changes it?
- For inclusion/categorisation: is there a Commission advice, survey, hearing, or benchmark record?
- For court records: what operative direction affects the current list or reservation percentage?
3. Missing-entry statuses
- Missing locally: known source exists, file not yet added.
- Source not found: cited in another record, original PDF not located.
- Partial: source found only as quote, mirror, OCR, or bundled page inside another PDF.
- Needs OCR: scanned source exists but text is not searchable.
- Verification needed: source exists but date/number/content conflict needs checking.
Copyable JSON template for a new document
{
"notif_no": "",
"date": "YYYY-MM-DD",
"year": 2026,
"type": "notification | order | corrigendum | hearing_notice | court_order | report | act | roster | certificate_guideline",
"status": "current | withdrawn | superseded | legacy | missing | verification_needed",
"summary": "",
"filename": "",
"local_pdf": "obc_pdfs/YYYY-MM-DD_DOCUMENT-NO_short-title.pdf",
"authority": "BCW Department | WBCBC | Court | Commission | Research",
"text": "",
"links_to": ["notification/order/case ids this document cites"],
"changed_by": ["later document ids if known"],
"evidence_needed": ["survey report", "hearing notice", "commission advice"]
}| Entry type | Where it belongs | Required cross-links | Useful summary pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notification / order | Timeline + corpus + PDF bundle | Previous notification, later amendment/withdrawal, affected communities | “Adds/amends/withdraws X and changes Y from date Z.” |
| Public hearing notice | Public Hearings + missing evidence trail | Community names, hearing date, later notification | “Notice calls hearing for named communities before inclusion/categorisation.” |
| Commission advice / survey | Reports/evidence + audit | Community, survey method, score/criteria, resulting notification | “Records evidence and recommendation behind notification X.” |
| Court order / judgment | Timeline + legal context | Case number, affected notifications, operative direction | “Court direction affects list/reservation/process by doing X.” |
| Policy report | Policy Reports & Criteria | Relevant sections, applied criteria, related state entries | “Explains criteria/evidence used to interpret the notification set.” |
Completeness Audit
The local folders contain the core 2010, 2025, and 2026 notifications and a substantial public-hearing notice set. The remaining procedural gap is the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes record behind the notices: benchmark-survey memos, class-wise advice reports, survey data, and later court records around the 2025 survey challenge.
Found online from original sources
Official BCW order indexes, official WBCBC public-hearing notice list, and the official 2025 notification-wise OBC list.
Partly found
Benchmark-survey memos are quoted or mirrored online, but the original Commission PDF locations still need recovery or download from the department/Commission if available.
Still missing locally
Class-wise Commission advice/survey reports, the benchmark-survey memo trail, complete court filings/orders after the 2025 survey challenge, and original source pages for any hearing notices that are present only as local scanned files.
Public Hearings / Jana Shunani
The local PUBLIC HEARING folder now supplies a fuller Jana Shunani run from 29 April through 24 May 2025. The notices use Adivasi Bhavan, Premises No. 2221, Action Area 3A, Rajarhat, New Town, Kolkata-700160 as venue; visually read notices and text-extracted Bengali advertisements are listed below with source links.
| Date | Time | Classes / communities named in notice | Official advertisement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 2025 | 12:00 | Sekh; Mallick; Molla; Khan (Muslim); Bhatia (Muslim) | |
| 30 Apr 2025 | 12:00 | Bosni; Gurung; Khas; Midde; Mandal (Muslim) | |
| 2 May 2025 | 4:00 | Kaji; Tutia; Bhangi (Muslim) | |
| 3 May 2025 | 12:00 | Bairagi/Baishnab; Laskar (Muslim); Jamadar (Muslim); Haldar (Muslim) | |
| 4 May 2025 | 12:00 | Khotta; Gazi; Muslim Biswas | |
| 13 May 2025 | 12:00 | Dalal (Muslim); Baidya (Muslim); Rajmistri; Chasatti/Chasa | |
| 14 May 2025 | 4:00 | Gayen (Muslim); Piyada/Peyada (Muslim); Dhali (Muslim); Malithya (Muslim) | |
| 15 May 2025 | 12:00 | Shah; Ostagar/Darji (Muslim); Purkait (Muslim); Tarafdar (Muslim); Dafadar (Muslim); Sardar (Muslim) | |
| 16 May 2025 | 12:00 | Sarkar (Muslim); Mistri (Muslim); Gharami (Muslim); Muslim Sanpui/Sapui; Akunji/Akan/Akhan (Muslim); Paik (Muslim) | |
| 18 May 2025 | 12:00 | Kan (Muslim); Mahaldar (Muslim); Goldar (Muslim); Chutor Mistri (Muslim); Dewan (Muslim) | |
| 19 May 2025 | 12:00 | Bayen (Muslim); Khondekar/Khonkar (Muslim); Halsana (Muslim); Mal Muslim; Sepai (Muslim); Abdal (Muslim) | |
| 20 May 2025 | 12:00 | Kayal (Muslim); Kalwar; Naiya (Muslim); Beldar Muslim; Muslim Penchi; Bhuiya/Bhunya (Muslim) | |
| 21 May 2025 | 4:00 | Nikari (Muslim); Daptari (Muslim); Muslim Barujibi/Barui; Bepari/Byapari Muslim | |
| 22 May 2025 | 12:00 | Hazari (Muslim); Muchi/Chamar Muslim; Pailan (Muslim); Chowdhury/Chowdhuri (Muslim); Muslim Mali/Faraji (Muslim); Sadgope | |
| 23 May 2025 | 12:00 | Majhi; Siuli (Muslim); Shikari/Sikari (Muslim); Mukti/Mufti (Muslim); Dhukre (Muslim) | |
| 24 May 2025 | 12:00 | Layek (Muslim); Khansama; Dhabak (Muslim); Nepali Brahmin |
New Local Sources Checked
| Local source | What it adds | Use in final dataset |
|---|---|---|
| Missing locally OBC ANALYSIS REPORT WITH NOTIFICATION.xlsx | Six sheets: 66 pre-2010 classes; old OBC list; 2025 new list; notification plus hearing dates; classes struck down by High Court; A/B movement analysis. | Best local structured source. It records 66 pre-2010 entries, 114 struck-down/affected entries, and a 2025 comparison table. |
| Document needed for Cast certificate Issue | Certificate-issuance procedure documents, including amended OBC certificate, document verification, Aadhaar/local residence proof, Kolkata hearing authority, and updated OBC certificate guidelines. | Administrative/certificate layer. Useful for showing how certificates are issued/revalidated, not for deciding which class is OBC. |
| BCW department orders and Notification | Acts, rules, roster/register orders, SC/ST identification law, EWS guidelines, and WBCBC constitution/administrative orders. | Legal/admin background layer. Important for context, but only selected PDFs are directly OBC-list relevant. |
| PRD orders Excel: "Backward" search | Four matching rows: 2663, 2896, 3276, and 3804 on Backward Class panchayat survey work. The same PDF folder also supplied the missing first guideline, 2572/PN/O/1/1S-5/2012 dated 25 Apr 2012. | Strong procedural evidence layer for caste/class population enumeration: survey rationale, GP-constituency units, Census/SECC reference records, draft publication, claims/objections, final publication, and software compilation. |
| What to add | Why it matters | Original / best source link |
|---|---|---|
| BCW official 2025 order index | Confirms the official publication entries for 917, 1056, 1057, 1106, 1107, the 2025 model roster, and related downloads. | Backward Classes Welfare Department orders page |
| BCW official 2026 order index | Confirms official publication of 944-BCW and 945-BCW dated 18 May 2026. | Backward Classes Welfare Department orders page |
| Notification-wise OBC list up to 03 Jun 2025 | This is the missing full 2025 data table: it links communities to approval memo numbers and notifications before the 2026 withdrawal. | Bundled official PDF Fetched from BCW |
| WBCBC public notice for inclusion | Shows the Commission's public invitation for communities/classes to apply for inclusion before hearings and surveys. | English public notice | Bengali public notice |
| Public hearing notices, 29 Apr to 4 May 2025 | These are part of the "jana shunani" trail before the 2025 recommendations. | |
| Public hearing notices, 13 May to 24 May 2025 | These complete the visible WBCBC public-hearing chain that is absent from the local folders. | |
| Benchmark Survey memo dated 28 Feb 2025 and Nadia memo dated 1 Mar 2025 | These are the survey-start documents challenged in later litigation. They are not in the local folders. | Original file not yet located. The 17 Jun 2025 High Court order records the 28 Feb Commission memo and 1 Mar District Welfare Officer communication; secondary mirrors reproduce the Nadia memo text. |
| Class-wise WBCBC advice / recommendation reports for the 2025 inclusions | The 2025 notifications say the Commission relied on detailed surveys, public hearings, and reasoned opinions. Those reports are the strongest missing evidentiary layer. | Add if supplied by WBCBC/BCW Department, RTI response, or court record annexures. |
| Raw or tabulated benchmark survey data | Needed to test whether each community’s social, educational, and economic backwardness findings match the notified outcome. | Add district/block survey tables if obtained from the Commission, district offices, or litigation annexures. |
| WBCBC No. 390-Estt./WBCBC dated 26 May 2025 | Requests benchmark survey for seven communities: Mahishya, Baishya Saha, Kayastha, Samudra Banik, Deswali Majhi, Beniya/Gandha Banik, and Ekadash Tili. | Original file not yet located on the WBCBC home page. Mirror/source text found at Manuals+ copy. |
| Standalone Gazette page for Corrigendum No. 1172-BCW/MR-38/2025 | Covered inside the bundled 1107 PDF, but a standalone copy may be useful for citation hygiene. | Official BCW download for 1107 includes the corrigendum page; keep as optional, not a blocking gap. |
| 17 Jun 2025 High Court interim order | Important legal update after your local 2025 notification set: the order discusses the benchmark survey challenge, 113 sub-castes, and the 2025 notifications. | Order text on Indian Kanoon |
| 22 May 2024 High Court judgment | The judgment is the legal hinge for the 2025 re-survey/sub-categorisation effort and the 2026 reset. | Judgment text on Indian Kanoon | PDF copy |
Document Inventory
| Folder | File | Pages | Timeline role |
|---|---|---|---|
| OBC 2025 | OBC List_BCW_26.pdf | 3 | Current 66-class list, 7% reservation. |
| OBC 2025 | Notification No 944-BCW Dt 18.05.2026.pdf | 1 | Withdraws the 2025 notification package. |
| OBC 2025 | Notification No 945-BCW Dt 18.05.2026.pdf | 3 | States 66 classes and 7% reservation. |
| OBC 2025 | Roster Modification_BCW Department May 2026.pdf | 5 | Implementation follow-up for roster revision. |
| OBC 2025 | 917-BCW SUB CATAGORIGATION OBC A & B.pdf | 2 | 2025 A/B sub-categorisation, later withdrawn. |
| OBC 2025 | 1056-BCW 64 O 66 SUB CAT.pdf | 3 | Sub-categorised 64 of 66 pre-2010 classes, later withdrawn. |
| OBC 2025 | 1057-BCW Incl 51 ccommunity in sub cat.pdf | 2 | Included 51 communities, later withdrawn. |
| OBC 2025 | 1106-BCW _ hike Res 7 to 17.pdf | 2 | Raised reservation to 17%, later withdrawn. |
| OBC 2025 | 1107-BCW Incl 25 community sub cat.pdf | 3 | Included 25 communities, later withdrawn. |
| OBC OLD | 6312-BCW reservation policy 2010.pdf | 1 | 2010 17% reservation order. |
| OBC OLD | 6309-BCW24-09-10 BCA 56 BCB 52.pdf | 3 | 2010 A/B categorisation reference. |
| PRD orders | 2572_PN_O_1_1S-5_2012.pdf | 11 | First statewide survey guideline for Backward Class population in Panchayat election reservation. |
| OBC OLD | 2896_PN_O_I_1S-5_2012.pdf | 7 | 2012 panchayat survey clarification. |
| OBC OLD | 1673-BCW Incl 35 com May 2012.pdf | 2 | 2012 inclusion of 35 communities. |
| OBC OLD | 2019-BCW_98 B[.pdf | 1 | 2022 Category-B serial 98. |
| OBC OLD | 2020-BCW 99B .pdf | 1 | 2022 Category-B serial 99. |
| OBC OLD | Other scanned legacy PDFs | 1-15 | Historical serial amendments now linked to rendered page previews and summarized where visually readable. |
Document Text Corpus
Full extracted text from the OBC list corpus plus supplemental BCW legal, certificate, roster, Commission, RTPS, digitisation, and EWS records — searchable and reusable for documentation.
| Notification No. | Date | Type | Status | Summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6309-BCW/MR-84/10 |
2010-09-24 | Categorisation | Superseded | Original sub-categorisation of OBCs into Category-A (56 classes) and Category-B (52 classes) | Preview |
6312-BCW/MR-84/10 |
2010-09-24 | Reservation Hike | Superseded | Reservation increased from 7% to 17% (10% Cat-A, 7% Cat-B) | Preview |
WB Act XXXIX of 2012 |
2013-03-25 | Act | Current | West Bengal Backward Classes (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012 | Preview |
1673-BCW/MR-209/11 |
2012-05-11 | Inclusion | Current | Inclusion of 35 new communities (9 Cat-A, 26 Cat-B) | Preview |
845-BCW/MR-147/12 |
2012-10-10 | Inclusion | Current | Inclusion of Sekh/Seikh in OBC Category-A | Preview |
762-BCW/MR-116/12 |
2013-03-01 | Amendment | Current | Amendment to 1673 notification: Sadhukhan (Muslim) at sl.11; sl.20 Deleted; Shah (Shah/Sahaji) at sl.22 | Preview |
3182-BCW/MR-127/13 |
2013-09-12 | Amendment | Current | Amendment sl.11 BC-B: Goala, Gope (PallavGope, BallavGope, YadavGope, Gope, Ahir and Yadav) | Preview |
2770-BCW/MR-116/12 |
2014-08-29 | Inclusion Amendment | Current | 15 new classes; 9 Cat-A (sl.66-75), 6 Cat-B (sl.79-84); plus 24 nomenclature amendments | Preview |
183-BCW/MR/209/11 |
2015-01-16 | Inclusion | Current | Inclusion of Kalal/Iraqi as sl.85 in Backward (Category B) | Preview |
2102-BCW/MR-209/11 |
2015-06-01 | Inclusion | Current | 6 new classes: Cat-A sl.76-78 (Kalwar, Atta Muslim, Khansama); Cat-B sl.86-88 (Sarala/Sarwala Muslim, Bagani Muslim, Bhandari Muslim) | Preview |
468-BCW/MR-209/11 |
2016-02-04 | Inclusion Amendment | Current | 5 new classes + 2 amendments: Cat-A sl.79-80 (Hawaikar Muslim, Khajonkriya Muslim); Cat-B sl.89-91 (Katha Muslim, Mudi/Mehedi Muslim, Sahana Muslim) | Preview |
773-BCW/MR-209/11 |
2016-02-26 | Inclusion Amendment | Current | Cat-B sl.92: Kazi/Kaji/Quazi/Quaji (Muslim); sl.61 Gazi (Muslim) amended to Gazi (Muslim), Par (Muslim) | Preview |
4283-BCW/MR-209/11 (Pt.I) |
2016-12-26 | Inclusion Amendment | Current | Cat-B sl.93: Kotal (Muslim); Cat-A sl.13 Fakir/Sain→Fakir, Sain; sl.45 Rayeen/Kunjra→Rayeen (Kunjra); Cat-B sl.2 Bansi-Barman→Bansi Barman; sl.51 Pahadia-Muslim→Pahadia Muslim | Preview |
4282-BCW/MR-118/16 |
2016-12-26 | Inclusion | Current | Cat-B sl.94: Gurung | Preview |
1132-BCW/MR-05/17 |
2018-03-28 | Inclusion | Current | Cat-B sl.96: Khas | Preview |
1905-BCW/MR-19/17 |
2017-06-07 | Inclusion | Current | Cat-A sl.81: Hazari (Muslim) | Preview |
3230-BCW/MR-116/12 |
2017-09-14 | Amendment | Current | Cat-B sl.24 Khen→Khen (Non-Bania category) | Preview |
3231-BCW/MR-74/17 |
2017-09-14 | Amendment | Current | Cat-B sl.11 Christians converted from SC→Scheduled Castes converts to Christianity and their progeny; sl.17 Hele/Halia/Chasi-Kaibartta→Hele/Halia/Chasi-Kaibartta, Das Kaibartta | Preview |
SBCW-165/MR-29/18 |
2018-06-27 | Inclusion | Current | Cat-B sl.97: Shikder/Shikdar/Sikder/Sikdar (Muslim) | Preview |
2019-BCW/MR-30/2020 |
2022-07-11 | Inclusion | Current | Cat-B sl.98: Chowdhury/Chowdhuri (Muslim) | Preview |
2020-BCW/MR-03/2021 |
2022-07-11 | Inclusion | Current | Cat-B sl.99: Bairagi/Baishnab | Preview |
4144-BCW/MR-92/17 |
2017-12-05 | Inclusion | Current | Cat-B sl.95: Layek (Muslim) | Preview |
917-BCW/MR-33/2025 |
2025-05-08 | Sub Categorisation | Withdrawn | Sub-categorisation of OBC State List into Category-A and Category-B (2025 exercise) — WITHDRAWN by No.944/2026 | Preview |
1056-BCW/MR-33/2025 (Pt.I) |
2025-05-27 | Sub Categorisation | Withdrawn | 64 of 66 pre-2010 classes sub-categorised: 14 Cat-A, 50 Cat-B — WITHDRAWN by No.944/2026 | Preview |
1057-BCW/MR-38/2025 |
2025-05-27 | Inclusion | Withdrawn | 51 new communities included and sub-categorised (27 Cat-A, 24 Cat-B) — WITHDRAWN by No.944/2026 | Preview |
1106-BCW/MR-33/2025 |
2025-06-03 | Reservation Hike | Withdrawn | Reservation raised to 17% (10% Cat-A, 7% Cat-B); total 115 OBC classes — WITHDRAWN by No.944/2026 | Preview |
1107-BCW/MR-38/2025 |
2025-06-03 | Inclusion | Withdrawn | 25 more communities included and sub-categorised (8 Cat-A, 17 Cat-B) — WITHDRAWN by No.944/2026 | Preview |
944-BCW/MR-23/2026 |
2026-05-18 | Withdrawal | Current | Withdrawal of all 2025 sub-categorisation notifications (917, 1056, 1057, 1106, 1107 and corrigendum 1172) | Preview |
945-BCW/MR-23/2026 |
2026-05-18 | Current List | Current | Current operative State List: 66 OBC classes with 7% uniform reservation (per HC order 22.05.2024) | Preview |
945-BCW/MR-23/2026 (Gazette) |
2026-05-18 | Current List | Current | Gazette publication of No.945 — 66-class list at 7% reservation | Preview |
946/Secy-BCW/MR-23/2026 |
2026-05-18 | Administrative | Current | Letter to Labour Dept to revise Model 100-Point Roster per new No.945 notification | Preview |
2896/PN/O/I/1S-5/2012 |
2012-05-15 | Administrative | Legacy | Panchayat & RD Dept: Survey guidelines for OBC population enumeration for Panchayat election seat reservation; list of 143 OBC castes appended | Preview |
2663/PN/O/I/1S-5/2012 |
2012-05-02 | Panchayat Survey Guideline | Legacy | Panchayat & RD Dept: clarification on Backward Classes household survey for Panchayat election reservation | Preview |
3276(18)/PN/O/I/1S-5/2012 |
2012-06-11 | Panchayat Survey Guideline | Legacy | Panchayat & RD Dept: fourth guideline on Backward Classes survey, including claims and objections procedure | Preview |
3276(18)/PN/O/I/1S-5/2012 Form |
2012-06-11 | Panchayat Survey Form | Legacy | Panchayat & RD Dept: Bengali form for claims and objections after draft Backward Classes survey list publication | Preview |
3804/PN/O/I/1S-5/2012 |
2012-07-06 | Panchayat Survey Data Entry | Legacy | Panchayat & RD Dept: works relating to Backward Classes survey data entry and online/offline upload | Preview |