‘Mandal’ implemented

The implementation of the Mandal Commission’s recommendations in 1990 was a watershed moment in Indian politics. It reshaped the political landscape by bringing the issue of caste-based reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to the centre of national debate, and it permanently altered the nature of political mobilisation and party competition.

The political background

In the 1980s, the Janata Dal emerged as a major political force by bringing together groups that had strong support among the OBCs. When the National Front government came to power in 1989, it decided to act on the long-pending Mandal Commission report. This decision was not made in a vacuum — it was the culmination of decades of demand for OBC representation, especially in north India.

The Mandal Commission: origins and mandate

The demand for reservations for backward castes had been strong in southern states since the 1960s, but it was not implemented in the north. During the Janata Party government (1977–79), this demand gained national traction. Karpoori Thakur, the then Chief Minister of Bihar, was a pioneer — his government introduced a new policy of reservations for OBCs in Bihar.

Following this, the central government appointed a Commission in 1978 to study the conditions of backward classes and recommend improvements. This was the second such commission since Independence, so it was officially called the Second Backward Classes Commission. It is popularly known as the Mandal Commission, after its chairperson, Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal.

The Commission had two main tasks:

• To investigate the extent of educational and social backwardness among various sections of Indian society, and recommend ways to identify these ‘backward classes’.
• To recommend measures to end this backwardness.

Key recommendations of the Mandal Commission

The Commission submitted its report in 1980, by which time the Janata government had fallen. Its central findings and recommendations were:

• Definition of backward classes: The Commission advised that ‘backward classes’ should be understood to mean ‘backward castes’. Many castes, other than Scheduled Castes, were also treated as low in the caste hierarchy.
• Survey findings: The Commission conducted a survey and found that these backward castes had a very low presence in both educational institutions and public sector employment.
• Reservation quota: It recommended reserving 27 per cent of seats in educational institutions and government jobs for these groups.
• Other recommendations: The Commission also suggested land reform and other measures to improve the conditions of OBCs.

Implementation and its aftermath

In August 1990, the National Front government decided to implement one specific recommendation of the Mandal Commission — reservations for OBCs in jobs in the central government and its undertakings.

This decision sparked intense national debate and violent protests in many cities of north India. Students and others opposed to reservations staged agitations. At the same time, the decision made people from OBC communities more aware of their identity, and it helped political groups that wanted to mobilise these communities.

The decision was challenged in the Supreme Court in what became known as the ‘Indira Sawhney case’ (after one of the petitioners). In November 1992, the Supreme Court delivered a ruling that upheld the government’s decision.

Political impact

The implementation of the Mandal report had a lasting impact on Indian politics:

• It led to the emergence of many parties that sought better opportunities for OBCs in education and employment.
• These parties raised the question of the share of power enjoyed by the OBCs. …