The high court on Thursday stayed the publication of the JEE results, directing the board to rework the merit list using pre-2010 OBC reservation norms.

Justice Kaushik Chanda passed the order on the day the board was to publish results of the April 27 exam. The merit list for undergraduate admissions to government and aided colleges has also been stayed.

The order stated: “The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board shall recast the merit list and publish a fresh panel, providing 7% reservation for the 66 classes of O.B.C. candidates as recognised by the West Bengal Backward Classes Department prior to 2010, in terms of the judgment and order dated May 22, 2024... This entire exercise shall be completed within 15 days from the date of this order.”

Justice Chanda noted that the board’s move to ask candidates to update caste details based on the state’s June 8 notification violated a Calcutta High Court order dated May 22, 2024. That earlier order had declared over five lakh OBC certificates issued post-2010 as “invalid”.

OBC reservation had been raised from 7 to 17 per cent after 2010, introducing two categories — OBC-A and OBC-B.

Thursday’s order said: “The interim order dated July 28, 2025, passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, does not revive or validate the O.B.C.-A and O.B.C.-B certificates that were expressly cancelled by the Division Bench of this Court by its order dated May 22, 2024. That order remains un-stayed. The undisputed position remains that the Joint Entrance Board has allowed O.B.C. candidates to participate in the exam on the basis of such cancelled certificates.”

Justice Chanda directed that the state’s chief secretary be informed of the order.

The state government had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the May 22 order. Meanwhile, it issued a notification on June 8 identifying 140 categories for 17 per cent OBC reservation in education and jobs.

A Calcutta High Court division bench stayed the June 8 notification on June 17.

The state then challenged that stay in the Supreme Court.

JEE board chairperson Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee said on July 31 that the Supreme Court’s July 28stay on the high court’s bar had cleared the way for result publication on August 7. Candidates were asked to update their caste details.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court observed that reservation is an executive function and doesn’t require legislation, saying: “We are surprised at the high court’s reasons.”

An education department official said principal education secretary Binod Kumar, who joined Thursday’s hearing online, explained why the board proceeded with the results.

“We expected Justice Chanda to take a lenient view and allow publication of results in the students’ interest,” the official said.

On July 28, the Supreme Court posted the case for hearing after two weeks.

“The state’s counsel will then mention this fresh hurdle before the court,” the official said.

The JEE is held for admissions to engineering courses in over 100 private and 10 government colleges, along with Jadavpur and Calcutta universities.