Two NEET students with OBC-B move Calcutta High Court for economically weak section certificate switch
Times of India | 13 August 2026
Kolkata: Two Murshidabad students, who cleared NEET UG 2026, have moved Calcutta High Court ahead of their counselling as their applications were under OBC-B, a category the new state govt removed on May 18. They have moved the single bench of Justice Amrita Sinha, seeking to switch to the economically weaker section (EWS) category.
Ijaz Ahmed (27) and Riaj Ahmed (24) had applied for NEET under OBC-B category, and had appeared for the test and then, the re-test, also under the same B category. But on May 18, the state issued a notice, saying the OBC-B category would be removed, following which the two applied for EWS certificates, which they were yet to receive. On July 31, they applied to the medical counselling committee for their conversion to EWS in the NEET 2026 counselling.
The candidates fear they may not get the benefit of the reservation as they initially disclosed their category as OBC-B, which is no longer available.
The tentative schedule for counselling for the state quota in Bengal, published by the Directorate of Medical Education was on Aug 11. The online registration of candidates qualified through NEET UG is due to start on Aug 13 (Thursday) and will continue till Aug 16 (Sunday).
Four others, who cleared NEET in the general category, have also moved the HC, seeking to be considered under EWS. Of the four, East Burdwan’s Jasim Mondal (25) and Murshidabad’s Sohel Rana Mondal (24) have received the EWS certificate but Mizanur Rahaman (20) and Nadia’s Mokaddesh Mondal have not. But as the state advocates were not ready with an instruction, Justice Sinha re-listed the matter on Aug 14.