Kolkata: The start of the application process for the Presidency University Master’s Degree Entrance Test (PUMDET-2025) has been put on hold due to fresh legal complications over OBC reservations, following a recent Calcutta High Court (HC) order.
The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) had earlier announced that the online application window would open on August 8, with applications accepted until August 11, a correction window on August 12, and the OMR-based examination scheduled for August 24. Results were scheduled for declaration on August 31.
However, the portal remained inactive on the scheduled start date, with candidates checking WBJEEB websites till late into the night on August 8. By Sunday, August 10, the site still displayed notices stating that the examination date “will be notified soon” and that the start of online applications “will be announced shortly.” No updates were posted in the ‘Current Events’ or ‘News & Events’ sections.
The delay comes in the wake of Justice Kausik Chanda’s directive on August 7 halting the publication of the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) merit list. The Calcutta HC instructed WBJEEB to recast the merit list and publish a fresh panel, providing 7 per cent reservation for 66 OBC classes recognised by the state’s Backward Classes Department before 2010, as per a Division Bench judgement dated May 22, 2024. The court gave the Board 15 days to complete the exercise.
In the same order, the court asked the Registry to communicate a copy to the Chief Secretary of the state, who was directed to circulate it among all state departments for guidance on ongoing and upcoming recruitment and admission processes. Sources said this blanket directive is the primary reason for the PUMDET delay.
The state government has already stated it will move to the Supreme Court on the matter. PUMDET-2025 is meant for admission to various postgraduate courses at Presidency University for the 2025–26 academic session. Meanwhile, the results of PUBDET-2025, for admission to undergraduate courses at the university, scheduled to be declared on August 9, have also been withheld for the same reason.