Supreme Court To Hear West Bengal Govt's Plea Against Cancellations Of OBC Classifications On January 28 & 29

In August last year, a bench led by former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, while issuing notice on the State's appeal, had asked it to file an affidavit explaining the process followed for the classification of 77 communities as OBCs : the nature of the survey; whether there was a lack of consultation with the backward classes commission in respect of any communities in the list of 77 communities designated as OBCs. The Order Of The High Court The Court was adjudicating on a plea which challenged certain provisions of the West Bengal Backward Classes Act, 2012, which made reservations in public offices for those belonging to the OBC category. In making observations on how the Commission acted improperly in connivance with the Chief Minister's mission to extend reservations, the Court opined: "The Commission and State acted in undue haste and with lightning speed in making recommendations for the classification of the 77 classes to make the public announcement of the then Chief Minister a reality. To curtain and hide such religion-specific recommendations, the Commission has prepared the reports for the ostensible purpose of granting reservation to the backward classes to hide the real purpose behind such recommendations.