Mandal Commission: History, Report, Recommendations and Impact

Mandal Commission: In 1979, the Janata Party government, led by Prime Minister Morarji Desai, established the Mandal Commission, formally known as the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission (SEBC), in India. The commission’s primary mandate was to “identify the socially or educationally backward classes” within the country.

Mandal Commission 1979

In this article, We have covered the Mondal Commission, its History, the Timeline of Mondal Commission, Recommendations, and many more in detail.

Let’s dive right in.

Mandal Commission

The following is the full Overview of the Mondal Commission:

Aspect	Description
Name of the Commission	Mandal Commission (Second Backward Classes Commission)
Formation Year	1979
Chairperson	B.P. Mandal
Objective	To identify and recommend affirmative action measures for socially and educationally backward classes (Other Backward Classes – OBCs) in government jobs and educational institutions.
Recommendations	Recommended reserving 27% of government jobs for OBCs, including reservations in educational institutions.
Submission of Report	The commission submitted its report in 1980.
Implementation Year	The recommendations were implemented in 1990 by then-Prime Minister V.P. Singh.
Controversies	Faced significant opposition and protests, particularly from groups expressing concerns about reverse discrimination.
Protests and Ramifications	Widespread protests ensued, and some activists resorted to self-immolation as a form of protest.
Impact on Society	Led to significant changes in government job reservations and affirmative action policies in India.
Ongoing Debate	The Mandal Commission’s impact and the reservation policies continue to be subjects of debate and discussion in Indian society.

Hisotry of Mandal Commission Report

The concept of caste-based reservations was originally suggested by William Hunter and Jyotiba Rao Phule in 1882. It was implemented by a number of British reforms, including the Government of India Act of 1919 and the Minto-Morley Reform of 1909. The following is the more report about the Mondal Commssion Report.

Formation and Background:

1. Formation: The Mandal Commission was constituted in January 1979 by the Janata Party government, with the primary objective of identifying and recommending measures for the upliftment of socially and educationally backward classes.
2. Chairperson: The commission was headed by B.P. Mandal, a former Chief Minister of Bihar. It consisted of multiple members, each with expertise in different fields.
3. Objective: The main goal of the commission was to assess the social and educational status of various communities in India and recommend measures to address backwardness, particularly in terms of representation in government jobs and educational institutions.

Recommendations:

1. Reservation Quota: In its report submitted in 1980, the Mandal Commission recommended the reservation of 27% of government jobs for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
2. Educational Institutions: The commission also suggested reservations for OBCs in educational institutions, including universities and colleges.

Implementation:

1. Protests and Controversies: The implementation of the Mandal Commission’s recommendations in 1990 sparked widespread protests, particularly in urban areas. Critics argued that the move would lead to reverse discrimination and questioned the criteria used to identify backward classes.
2. Impact on Society: The implementation of the Mandal Commission’s recommendations significantly altered the landscape of government job reservations and affirmative action policies in India. It aimed at providing opportunities to historically marginalized communities.
3. Political Ramifications: The decision to implement the Mandal Commission’s recommendations had political consequences, contributing to the fragmentation of the Janata Dal party and influencing subsequent electoral politics in the country.

Post-Implementation Developments:

1. Debate and Discussions: Over the years, there have been ongoing debates about the percentage of reservations for OBCs and discussions about whether economic criteria should be considered in addition to social backwardness.
2. Legal Challenges: The Mandal Commission’s recommendations faced legal challenges in the Supreme Court, but eventually, they were upheld.
3. Revisions and Expansions: Some states in India have also implemented reservations for economically backward sections among the forward castes, leading to further discussions on the criteria for reservations.

Mandal Commission Timeline

The events talked about in the Mandal Commission Report were:

Timeline	Key Events
1979	The Backward Class Commission was set up under the chairmanship of BP Mandal to identify social and economically backward classes of India
1980	The Commission submitted its report and argued that India’s population consists of 52% OBCs and therefore recommended 27% reservation for OBCs in government jobs.
1980-1989	The government was not willing to implement the changes suggested by the Mandal Commission.
1990	Prime Minister VP Singh announced the legal implementation of the Mandal Commission Report.
1992	The implementation was challenged in the Supreme Court and the court under Indira Sawhney vs Union of India upheld the constitutional validity of 27% reservation of OBCs

Mandal Commission Recommendations

Following were the major recommendations of the Mandal Commission report:

• OBCs must be provided 27% reservation in public sector and govt. jobs.
• OBCs must be provided 27% reservation at all levels of promotions.
• The reservation quota vacancies, if remain unfilled, should be carried forward for a period of upto 3 years.
• Same age relaxation will be provided to OBCs like SCs and STs.
• A list will be made for backward classes, similar to SCs and STs.
• Banks, universities, colleges, and private businesses that receive financing from the government will all be implementing reservations.
• To put into effect these suggestions, the government will make necessary laws.

Merits and Demerits of Mandal Commission Report

Following are the merits of Mandal Commission:

• The implementation of Mandal Commission’s recommendation has helped in increasing the representation of socially and educationally backwards in govt. jobs and institution.
• The Mandal commission’s recommendation were purely based on implementing the principle of social justice, following the equal opportunities to all sections of the society.
• The reservation policy has helped several OBCs to get access to higher education.

Despite having many merits, the Manda Commission also faced several criticism. Following are the some demerits of Mandal Commission’s recommendations:

• The reservation is used as a political propaganda by politicians to increase their vote-bank.
• There has been a very little impact of upliftment.
• Caste based reservation has intensified caste based division.
• It has been a cause of Social Disharmony.

Impact of Mandal Commission Report

• In 1990, V P Singh, the prime minister at the time, declared in parliament that the Mandal Commission’s recommendations would be implemented which resulted in a widespread protest, particularly in Northern and Western India.
• The implementation was finally challenged in Supreme Court in 1992, under the historical India Sawhney vs Union of India Case.
• In Indira Sawhney vs Union of India case, 1992, Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of 27% reservations for OBCs.

Conclusively, the Mandal Commission had a mixed impact on Indian society and politics. On one hand, it has definitely improved the social and economic status of OBCs, but, it also led to some negative consequences. Following are the major impacts of the implementation Mandal Commission report:

1. Increased political representation of OBCs
2. Improved social mobility for OBCs
3. Reinforcement of caste divisions
4. Increased social and economic tensions
5. Politicization of caste

SC Rule in Indira Sawhney Case

In Indira Sawhney vs Union of India case, 1992, Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of 27% reservations for OBCs but with certain conditions:

• The Supreme Court held that the total reservation must not exceed the 50% cap and reservation should not be extended in promotions.
• Concept of creamy layer was also introduced by the court to exclude the well-to-do families from reservation.
• The carry forward rule (rule used to fill those vacancies which could not be full filled in certain year are filled in the upcoming year) should not breach 50% ceiling.

Conclusion on Mandal Commission

Even though some of the Mandal Commission’s recommendations have been implemented with certain changes, the Mandal Commission remains relevant in present time. OBCs have been benefitted socially and economically from the reservation of seats in government employment and educational institutions, and as a result, they are now a significant political force in India.

FAQs on Mandal Commission

When was the Mandal Commission established?

The Mandal Commission was established in 1979.

When was the Mandal Commission report published?

The Mandal Commission report was published in 1980.

What were the main recommendations of Mandal Commission?

The Mandal Commission report recommended to give 27% reservation to OBCs in govt. jobs.

When was the Mandal Commission report implemented?

The Mandal Commission report was implemented in 1990 by Prime Minister, VP Singh.

What is the other name for Mandal Commission?

Mandal Commission is also known as Second Backward Class Commission.

Who headed Mandal Commission?

BP Mandal was the chairman of Mandal Commission.

What was the impact of Mandal Commission?

The representation of OBCs significantly improved after the implementation of Mandal Commission report.