Another Mandal Movement Must Arise!

(August 25 --- On the Occasion of B.P. Mandal's Birthday)

T.Chiranjeevulu IAS (Retired), Founder & President  BCIF(BC Intellectuals Forum)

When we speak about social justice, equal opportunities, and empowerment of backward classes in India, the name B.P. Mandal comes to mind with great respect. Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal was not merely a political leader; he was a guide who studied inequalities in Indian society and showed the path toward constitutional opportunities for backward classes through a scientific approach. The Second Backward Classes Commission under his chairmanship, popularly known as the Mandal Commission, stands as a landmark in India's social justice history.

Mandal's Life

B.P. Mandal was born on August 25, 1918, in Bihar. Entering public life and rising as a political leader, he served as Chief Minister of Bihar in 1968. However, what granted him a permanent place in history was his work on the socio-educational and economic conditions of backward classes.

Under Article 340 of the Indian Constitution, which mandates studying the socially and educationally backward sections and suggesting measures for their advancement, the Central Government established the Second Backward Classes Commission in 1979, chaired by B.P. Mandal. After extensive study, surveys, and data collection, the commission submitted its report on December 31, 1980.

Distinctiveness of the Mandal Commission

The greatness of the Mandal Commission lay not just in recommending 27% reservation, but in providing the correct scientific answer to the question: "Who constitutes a Backward Class?"

The commission developed 11 indicators to examine social, educational, and economic conditions. These were divided into four social, three educational, and four economic indicators. Giving highest weightage to social indicators, followed by educational and then economic indicators, it devised a 22-point methodology. Castes/classes scoring 11 or more points were identified as socially and educationally backward.

Thus, the attempt was made to estimate backwardness not merely through political declarations, but based on social status, educational conditions, and economic factors. This methodology was later upheld by courts. Through this highly scientific approach, he identified 3,743 castes as backward. The Mandal Commission made 40 recommendations in total.

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Mandal Commission — 40 Recommendations and Current Status

No.	Mandal Commission Issue/Recommendation	Current Status
1	OBC backwardness is not merely poverty; it is intertwined with social formation	Partially addressed
2	Reservation needed for OBCs in government jobs and educational institutions	Implemented
3	Commission rejected the argument that reservation reduces merit/administrative efficiency	Accepted in principle
4	Providing some jobs alone cannot remove overall backwardness of OBCs	Implementation pending; commission review needed
5	Adequate representation of OBCs in administration needed	Partially implemented
6	Commission estimated OBC population at approximately 52%	Statistical estimate; lack of fresh census issue continues
7	SC/ST already have 22.5% reservation	Already existing policy
8	Commission examined the need for up to 52% reservation for OBCs	Not implemented
9	Considering the 50% ceiling limit, recommended 27% reservation for OBCs	27% Implemented
10	States with existing reservation exceeding 27% should continue	Partially/State-wise implementation
11	OBC reservation should apply to Central and State government services	Primarily implemented in Centre; varies by state policy
12	OBC reservation should apply to technical and professional institutions	Implemented/Partially implemented
13	OBC candidates selected through open merit should not be counted under 27% quota	Implemented
14	Reservation should also apply to promotions for OBCs	Not implemented at Centre level
15	Vacant posts not filled due to OBC reservation should be carried forward for three years	Partially implemented/modifications applied subsequently
16	Age relaxation for OBC candidates	Implemented
17	Roster system for OBC reservation	Implemented
18	OBC reservation applicable to Central/State PSUs and government-controlled institutions	Partially implemented
19	OBC reservation in Nationalised banks and other government-controlled financial institutions	Partially implemented
20	OBC reservation in private sector receiving government financial aid	Generally not implemented
21	OBC reservation in universities and colleges	Implemented
22	OBC reservation in technical/professional institutions	Implemented
23	Special educational facilities for OBC students	Partially implemented
24	Special educational programs in regions with high OBC population	Partially implemented
25	Special measures to reduce OBC student dropout rates	Partially implemented
26	Facilities like adult education, residential schools, hostels	Partially implemented
27	Expand vocational/technical training for OBCs	Partially implemented
28	Special coaching/academic assistance for OBC students	Implemented/Partially implemented
29	Financial and technical assistance for OBCs dependent on traditional occupations	Partially implemented
30	Institutional finance for OBC artisans and small entrepreneurs	Partially implemented
31	Special financial institutions for OBCs	Partially implemented — Institutions like NBCFDC established
32	Development of OBC occupational cooperatives	Partially implemented
33	Network of financial and technical institutions for business/industrial development of OBCs	Partially implemented
34	Reservation alone is insufficient for OBC advancement; structural economic change needed	Not fully implemented
35	Progressive land reforms to change rural production relations	Not largely implemented
36	Allocation of surplus land to landless OBC workers	Not implemented nationally/limited
37	Special focus on most backward groups within OBCs; institutions like OBC Development Corporations	Partially implemented
38	OBCs need special administrative mechanism/government machinery for monitoring	Partially implemented — NCBC established, later became constitutional body
39	Central financial aid for OBC development programs	Partially implemented
40	Measures implemented should be periodically reviewed and comprehensively re-examined	Not implemented as proposed by Mandal

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Fully/Mainly Implemented:

• 27% Central job reservation
• Reservation in Central educational institutions
• Open-merit adjustment
• Age relaxation
• Roster system
• Special coaching

Partially Implemented:

• Educational facilities
• Hostels
• Vocational training
• Financial assistance
• Loans for artisans/entrepreneurs
• Representation in government/PSU sectors
• OBC Development Corporations

Still Largely Unimplemented:

• Private sector OBC reservation
• Reservation in promotions for OBCs
• Comprehensive land reforms
• Allocation of surplus land to landless OBCs
• Broad structural economic-social transformation proposed by Mandal

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27% Reservation — A New Direction

The Mandal Commission estimated that OBCs constituted approximately 52% of India's population based on the 1931 Census. Taking into account Supreme Court judgments including Balaji vs. State of Mysore (1961) and subsequent rulings, and adhering to the 50% reservation ceiling rule, the Commission recommended 27% reservation for OBCs in Central government educational institutions and jobs in 1980. At that time, SC/ST already had 22.5% reservation.

In 1990, the Central Government decided to implement this recommendation. Subsequently, in the case Indra Sawhney v. Union of India, the Supreme Court examined constitutional aspects related to OBC reservation. From 1993, 27% reservation for OBCs came into effect in Central government jobs, and in education in 2008.

This initiated a new era in Indian social justice politics.

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Mandal—Nair Discussion

According to L.R. Nair, a member of the Mandal Commission, OBCs are not a homogeneously backward group. While some OBC groups have progressed relatively, others remain in severe social, educational, and economic backwardness. Therefore, he suggested dividing OBCs into two categories — Intermediate Backward Classes and Depressed Backward Classes — with special protection for the most backward groups.

B.P. Mandal mentioned in his forwarding letter that the commission acknowledged the validity of Nair's arguments. However, given the legal circumstances at that time, especially considering the M.R. Balaji v. State of Mysore judgment, the commission proceeded cautiously regarding whether sub-categorization of OBCs was possible.

Later, the Indra Sawhney judgment created an opportunity to consider relative backwardness within OBCs, allowing division into Most Backward Classes and Backward Classes.

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Religion is Not the Criterion—Backwardness Is

A crucial aspect of the Mandal Commission is that it did not restrict OBC identification to the Hindu community alone. It also examined non-Hindu communities that were socially and educationally backward.

Groups converting from lower castes to other religions, as well as those depending on traditional occupations similar to Hindu OBCs, were considered by the commission. Occupations like dhobi, teli, nai, kumhar, lohars, darji serve as examples.

Through this, a key principle emerges: Backwardness should be identified based on social condition, educational backwardness, occupation, and economic status—not religion.

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Mandal Remains Incomplete...

Out of the 40 recommendations, some have been implemented, some partially, and many remain incomplete.

Therefore, today's call to "complete Mandal" means not just protecting the 27% reservation, but ensuring that the benefits of this reservation reach the most backward groups within the BC community appropriately.

August 25 — B.P. Mandal's birthday. Meanwhile, "Remove Reservation" slogans echo in Delhi.

Although the Central Government has been implementing 27% reservation based on the Mandal Commission for the past 33 years in Central government jobs, it is regrettable that even today, A.B. category officers have not crossed 22%. If the situation continues thus, some youth unaware of social, economic, political, judicial systems and social justice are raising anti-reservation slogans.

1.      Inclusive Growth: If the majority populations in society remain distant from development, "Sab Ka Saath – Sab Ka Vikas" is impossible.

2.      Caste Discrimination, Social and Educational Inequalities: Providing reservation based only on economic criteria will not address centuries-old social discrimination and lack of representation.

3.      Demographic Representation: Only when opportunities are provided proportionate to the population of respective groups in jobs, education, and politics can comprehensive social equity be achieved in the nation.

It is essential to implement classification and transparent methods to ensure constitutional social justice is preserved and the fruits reach the most backward castes within BCs (EBC/MBCs).

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Reservation Is Not Poverty Alleviation

Government welfare schemes provided on the basis of poverty are one thing; reservations are another. The primary basis for the reservation system in the Constitution is historically continued social backwardness, discrimination, and lack of adequate representation in government systems.

Through reservations, previously marginalized social groups have gained some access to education, government jobs, and public representative institutions. Removing this system abruptly would not erase centuries-old social inequalities overnight. As a result, the limited representation already achieved would gradually diminish, and these groups could fall back to their previous social status.

Therefore, answering the question "When should reservations be removed?" cannot be based solely on economic conditions. The main focus should be on whether constitutional goals like social discrimination, educational backwardness, representation in government services, and equality of opportunity have actually been achieved.

In one sentence: "Reservation is not a poverty eradication program; it is a remedy for social injustice, a constitutional instrument for equal opportunity, and a system correcting representational deficit."

While the Supreme Court ruled in the Indra Sawhney case (1992) that economic-based reservations would not be valid, the Central Government introduced the 103rd Constitutional Amendment for economically weaker dominant castes, announcing 10% reservation, which is fully implemented since 2019. Once again, movements began demanding removal of Bahujan reservations.

Therefore, there is a need for Bahujans to unite and protest "Save Reservations." Otherwise, dominant castes may bury the social justice envisioned by constitution makers like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Hence, be vigilant.

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Another Mandal Movement Must Arise

August 25 should not be celebrated merely as a birth anniversary but observed as a day of recommitment to social justice.

1.      Complete Caste Census First: Who constitutes how much of the population? What is the representation in education, employment, land, property, income, administration, and politics? Precise data is needed. However, the Central Government announced caste counting in the 2027 Census but intends to do so without assigning a specific code number per caste, instead grouping all castes in an open category. This is inflicting grave injustice upon BCs once again. The time for BCs to strongly resist has arrived.

2.      Equal Opportunities in Education: Opportunities for BC students must expand from primary education to higher education, technical education, research, and foreign studies. Ph.D. and other higher education scholarships should be increased.

3.      Employment and Economic Empowerment: Alongside reservation in government jobs, strong mechanisms are needed for business, industry, self-employment, loans, and market opportunities for BCs. Budget allocations for BCs should increase; sub-programs should be introduced.

4.      Political Representation: Being a large segment of the population, BCs need reservation in legislative assemblies. In women's bill provisions, one-third reservation should also be allocated for BC women.

5.      Internal Justice Within BCs: The Mandal-Nair discussion reminds us of this. While preserving BC unity, mechanisms must be developed to ensure justice reaches the most backward groups. This brings special importance to the Rohini Commission, established in 2017, which examined whether reservation benefits are reaching OBCs equitably and how sub-categorization should be done if needed. This commission submitted its report on July 31, 2023. However, the Central Government's failure to take a final decision on this report by 2026 remains a critical question before the social justice movement. The Rohini Commission report should be implemented immediately.

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The Great Message B.P. Mandal Gave Us

Social justice is not charity; it is a right. Representation is not benevolence; it is a democratic right.

With the spirit of Mandal, let us fight for social justice and create another Mandal movement. Only then can Hisa (Share), Izzat (Self-respect), and Hukumat(Power) be realized.

Therefore, "Completing Mandal" means not just caste census, education, employment, economic empowerment, political representation, and social honor; it also means providing a just share to the most backward groups within BCs. Achieving equality in all sectors is the true tribute we can pay to B.P. Mandal.