Understanding the Purpose of the B.P. Mandal Commission

The B.P. Mandal Commission is a significant part of India's social justice history. It was formally known as the Second Backward Classes Commission.

The primary objective behind setting up the B.P. Mandal Commission was to investigate the conditions of specific sections of Indian society and propose measures for their upliftment. This involved a detailed study of their social, educational, and economic status.

Focus Area of the Mandal Commission

The commission was specifically tasked with identifying the socially and educationally backward classes in India. This term refers to groups that faced historical disadvantages leading to backwardness in social and educational aspects, often linked to their traditional occupations or social status, but distinct from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes who are already identified categories.

The commission conducted extensive surveys and studies across the country to gather data and identify these backward classes. Their report, submitted in 1980, identified a large number of castes and communities across different states as Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs).

Analyzing the Options

Let's look at the provided options in the context of the B.P. Mandal Commission's mandate:

• Scheduled Tribes: This is a constitutionally recognized category of indigenous people who historically lived in tribal areas and have distinct cultures. While they are also considered backward, the Mandal Commission's specific focus was on other backward classes, not primarily Scheduled Tribes.
• Scheduled Castes: This is another constitutionally recognized category, traditionally known as Dalits. They faced severe discrimination based on the caste system. Like Scheduled Tribes, they are a distinct category, and the Mandal Commission's main mandate was concerning backward classes other than SCs and STs.
• Rural women and children: While rural women and children are often vulnerable groups facing various forms of backwardness, the B.P. Mandal Commission's terms of reference were not specifically limited to or primarily focused on this demographic based on gender or age within rural areas. Its focus was broader, based on caste and community-based social and educational backwardness across different regions.
• Socially and educationally backward classes: This directly aligns with the official name and mandate of the Second Backward Classes Commission, headed by B.P. Mandal. The commission was explicitly set up to identify and recommend measures for these classes, who were considered backward but did not fall under the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes categories.

Therefore, the B.P. Mandal Commission was established to study the reasons for the backwardness of the socially and educationally backward classes.

Revision Table: B.P. Mandal Commission Key Facts

Additional Information: India's Backward Classes Commissions

Understanding the Mandal Commission is easier when seen in context:

• First Backward Classes Commission (Kaka Kalelkar Commission): This commission was set up in 1953 and submitted its report in 1955. It was the first attempt to identify backward classes other than SCs and STs. However, its recommendations were not fully implemented due to various disagreements, including within the commission itself.
• Constitutional Basis: Article 340 of the Indian Constitution provides for the appointment of a commission to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes and make recommendations. Both the Kaka Kalelkar Commission and the B.P. Mandal Commission were appointed under this article.
• Impact of Mandal Commission Report: The implementation of the Mandal Commission's recommendation for 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in government jobs in 1990 by the V.P. Singh government led to widespread protests and debates across the country. The matter went to the Supreme Court, resulting in the landmark Indra Sawhney & Ors. vs. Union of India (1992) judgment, which upheld the reservation but with certain conditions (like the exclusion of the 'creamy layer').

The work of the B.P. Mandal Commission and the subsequent implementation of its recommendations significantly impacted India's reservation policy and affirmative action framework, particularly for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs), often referred to as Other Backward Classes (OBCs).