Mandal Politics

The Mandal Commission was set up in 1978 by Government of India to investigate the extent of educational and social backwardness among various sections of Indian Society and recommend ways of identifying these "backward classes". Mandal Commission found that the backward caste had a very low presence in both educations institutions and in employment in public services. Hence it had recommended reservations of seats in educations institutions and government job for these groups. The Mandal Commission also made many other recommendations like land reforms, to improve the conditions of the OBCs. After a decade of the report, in August 1990, the National Front Government decided to implement one of the recommendations of Mandal Commission pertaining to reservations for OBCs in job in the central government and its undertakings. This decision sparked agitations and violent protests in many cities of North India. Supreme Court in 1992 upheld the decision of the government.