Mandal Commission

• The plan to set up a Commission was taken by Morarji Desai Government in 1978.
• The decision was made official by the President on January 1, 1979
• So finally the "Mandal Commission" was established in 1979 by the Janata Party Government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai.
• The AIM was to "Identify Socially or Educationally Backward" people of our country.
• It was Headed by Indian Parliamentarian BHINDESHWARI PRASAD MANDAL to consider the question of seat reservation and quotas for people.
• The Commission adopted 11 criteria which could be grouped under 3 major headings.
I Social
II Educational
III Economic
in order to Identity OBC
• The report of the Commission was submitted in December 1980.
• It called for reserving 27% of all services and public sector undertakings under the Central Government and 27% of all admission to institutions of higher education except in states that have reserved higher % of Quota.
• A decade after the Commission gave its report, V.P. Singh, the then Prime Minister of that time tried to implement its recommendation in 1989.
• The decision of implementation of Mandal Commissions, recommendation, generaed severe controversy.
• Colleges across the country held massive protests against it. Anti Mandal criticism was shape.
• Rajiv Goswamy, student, of Delhi University self immolated himself in protest of the Government action.
• His act further sparked a series of self - immolation by other colleges.