In a significant move for the ongoing electoral roll revision in West Bengal, the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has issued clear instructions detailing which Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates will be considered valid during hearings. This directive comes in the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process for 2026.
Court Order Forms Basis of New Directive
The instructions were circulated to all District Electoral Officers (DEOs) and are based explicitly on the Calcutta High Court's order dated December 24, 2025. The CEO's communication encloses the court's directive, providing a legal framework for officials to follow during the revision process.
The court's order provides a three-tiered clarification on the validity of various OBC certificates. This aims to resolve confusion and ensure only legally sound documents are used for enrollment or objections during the SIR hearings.
Which OBC Certificates Are Valid?
The High Court has specified that certificates issued to 64 classes and 76 classes under specific government notifications are valid. These notifications were issued on May 27, 2025, June 3, 2025, and June 12, 2025. Crucially, the validity of these certificates is considered effective from the dates of the respective notifications.
Furthermore, the court ruled that OBC certificates issued to 66 classes before the year 2010 will continue to be accepted. Both these categories of certificates can be used as one of the 13 documents approved by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the SIR 2026 process.
Certificates Declared Invalid
In a clear demarcation, the Calcutta High Court stated that OBC certificates issued between 2010 and 2024 to 113 classes are not valid. These certificates pertain to categories that were previously cancelled by the High Court.
The order explicitly states that since these certificates were cancelled, they have "no locus standi in the eye of law" and therefore cannot be treated as a valid document for the electoral roll revision. This clarification was a key demand in the petition filed before the court.
Background and Legal Context
The directive stems from a petition filed by Arijit Bakshi, a registered voter in West Bengal. He argued that the Election Commission must specify that only valid OBC certificates, and not those from categories struck down by the court, should be accepted during the revision.
This legal tangle has its roots in a May 2024 order by the Calcutta High Court, which cancelled OBC reservations granted to 77 categories in the state. The court cited the absence of a clear legislative policy in the state's 2012 scheme for classifying communities as OBCs.
The West Bengal government has challenged this 2024 ruling in the Supreme Court, where the matter remains pending. The latest December 2025 order provides interim clarity for the ongoing electoral process while the broader legal challenge is sub-judice.
The CEO's instructions ensure that district-level officers now have a definitive guideline to prevent the use of invalidated OBC certificates, bringing much-needed clarity to a contentious issue in the state's electoral preparation.
