WBJEE results ready but awaiting policy directive: Board chairperson
Kolkata: The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination Board (WBJEEB) is ready to publish the state Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) 2025 results but is awaiting a formal policy directive on the reservation issue before proceeding, Board Chairperson Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee said on Friday.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Association of Professional Academic Institutions(APAI) Pre-Counselling & Education Fair at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Banerjee said: “We had planned to declare the results on June 5. Procedurally, we are fully prepared. However, the OBC reservation issue is sub judice. We will publish the results in accordance with the directive we receive. We are only waiting for a policy decision.”
Banerjee clarified that the Board, governed by the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Act, 2014, is only responsible for conducting exams. “Determining the reservation formula is not within our jurisdiction,” she said.
Section 4(8) of the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Act, 2014, mandates the preparation of separate merit lists for SC, ST, OBC-A and OBC-B candidates in line with the state higher educational institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2013, which specifies 17% OBC reservation (10% for OBC-A and 7% for OBC-B).
However, the implementation of this quota formula in this year’s merit list is now caught in legal limbo.
An official confirmed that the results are ready and will be updated and published once reservation policy clarity is provided. This year’s WBJEE, held on April 27, saw 1,01,679 candidates appear.
The delay has triggered anxiety among aspirants and raised concerns among private engineering institutions. Taranjit Singh, president of APAI-WB and chancellor of JIS University, said: “The longer the delay, the greater the risk of vacant seats. A student who sat for board exams in February–March and WBJEE in April cannot be expected to wait indefinitely. They may opt for options outside Bengal.”
In contrast, APAI general secretary and chancellor of Sister Nivedita University and Techno India University, Tripura, Satyam Roychowdhury, remained upbeat. “The issue is purely technical. Once resolved, the results can be declared immediately. I’m confident that the counselling process, which usually takes time, will also be shortened and the entire procedure completed by July-end, with classes beginning in August as usual,” he said, further asserting that the delay is unlikely to drive students out of the state.
State Parliamentary Affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay also expressed hope that the matter would be resolved soon, urging students to stay in Bengal, citing the state’s strong academic infrastructure and affordability.
