The state government has moved the Supreme Court challenging Calcutta High Court’s order halting the publication of the state JEE results, education minister Bratya Basu said on Friday.
Justice Kaushik Chanda on Thursday directed the JEE board to rework the merit list using pre-2010 OBC reservation norms.
“We did not anticipate such an outcome in the high court following the Supreme Court’s verdict. We are moving the Supreme Court regarding the JEE. The high court’s decision has created new complications, which will be resolved shortly. The notification for the central admission portal will be issued soon,” Basu told reporters.
An education department official said the Supreme Court is likely to hear the case next week.
Justice Chanda passed the order on a day the board was to publish the results of the exam held on April 27. The merit list for undergraduate admissions to government and aided colleges has also been stayed.
An official said they believed the Supreme Court’s July 28 stay on the high court bar — preventing the state from implementing OBC reservations under a June 8 notification — had cleared the way for publishing the results.
“That’s why the JEE board chairperson, Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee, asked candidates to upload caste details from July 31 to August 2 and announced that the results would be declared on August 7. The education minister also posted on X on July 31 that undergraduate merit lists would be published on the same day,” the official said.
The delay has sparked concern among engineering colleges.
“Many prospective students have already taken admission in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. How will we run colleges and pay staff salaries?” said Taranjit Singh, president of the Association of Private Academic Institutions, which represents over 100 private engineering colleges.
Amitava Datta, pro vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University, said the delay could disrupt the academic calendar. “If classes can’t start on time, how can we complete the syllabus?... We’re also worried about getting students for our 1,253 BTech seats.”
Parents have expressed frustration over the uncertainty. “The court is toying with the future of students,” said Debraj Kundu, a parent.
