CBSE Class 12 · Recent Developments in Indian Politics

The Mandal Commission, OBC Reservation and the Rise of OBC and Dalit Politics (Class 12 Political Science, Politics in India since Independence, Chapter 8)

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

OBCs are communities other than SC and ST who suffer educational and social backwardness. The Second Backward Classes (Mandal) Commission, set up in 1978, recommended 27 per cent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs. The National Front government implemented job reservation in central government in August 1990, and the Supreme Court upheld it in the Indira Sawhney case, November 1992.

Follow the four dates in order, and remember the Commission recommended 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in jobs and educational institutions.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Mandal Commission, OBC Reservation and the Rise of OBC and Dalit Politics

Why this topic matters. The political rise of OBCs is one of two long-term developments NCERT names in the chapter on recent developments. Questions ask the meaning of OBC, the Commission's recommendations, the 1990 decision and Supreme Court ruling, and the rise of parties such as the BSP. Describe the debate neutrally: attribute arguments to those who made them and do not judge any party or leader.

1. Who are the OBCs.

'Other Backward Classes' is an administrative category for communities other than SC and ST that suffer educational and social backwardness; also called 'backward castes'.
Earlier, support of many backward castes for the Congress declined, creating space for non-Congress parties. This first found national expression in the Janata Party government of 1977, whose constituents like the Bharatiya Kranti Dal and the Samyukta Socialist Party had a strong rural base among sections of the OBC.
In the 1980s the Janata Dal brought together a similar combination. The decision of the National Front government to implement the Mandal recommendations further shaped OBC politics.

2. The Mandal Commission.

Reservation for OBC existed in southern states from the 1960s but not in the north. During the Janata government (1977-79) the demand for reservations for backward castes in north India and at the national level was strongly raised. Karpoori Thakur, then Chief Minister of Bihar, was a pioneer: his government introduced a new policy of reservations for OBCs in Bihar.
In 1978 the central government appointed a Commission; it was the second since Independence, hence the Second Backward Classes Commission, popularly the Mandal Commission after its chairperson Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal.
Task: investigate the extent of educational and social backwardness among sections of society, recommend how to identify 'backward classes', and recommend ways to end the backwardness.
It gave its recommendations in 1980, by when the Janata government had fallen. It advised that 'backward classes' be understood as 'backward castes', since many castes other than the Scheduled Castes were also treated as low in the caste hierarchy. Its survey found a very low presence of these castes in educational institutions and public services.
Recommendations: reserve 27 per cent of seats in educational institutions and government jobs; also land reform and other steps to improve conditions of the OBCs.

3. Implementation, 1990-1992.

In August 1990 the National Front government decided to implement one recommendation: reservation for OBCs in jobs in the central government and its undertakings.
The decision sparked agitations and violent protests in many cities of north India, and was challenged in the Supreme Court, in what came to be known as the 'Indira Sawhney case' (after one of the petitioners).
In November 1992 the Supreme Court upheld the government's decision.
NCERT says there were differences among parties about the manner of implementation, but the policy of OBC reservation now has the support of all major political parties.

4. Political effects. The intense national debate for and against reservation in jobs made OBC communities more aware of their identity and helped those who wanted to mobilise them. Parties emerged seeking better opportunities for OBCs in education and employment and a share of power. They argued, as NCERT reports, that since OBCs formed a large segment of society it was democratic that they get adequate representation in administration and due share of political power.

5. Dalit political organisation.

In 1978 the Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) was formed. It was not an ordinary trade union; it supported political power for the 'bahujan' (SC, ST, OBC and minorities). From it came the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti and then the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) under Kanshi Ram (founded in 1984 per the biographical note).
The BSP began as a small party supported largely by Dalit voters in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. In 1989 and 1991 it achieved a breakthrough in Uttar Pradesh, the first time in independent India that a party supported mainly by Dalit voters achieved such success. It has since been in government in the state on more than one occasion; its strongest support remains Dalit voters, but it has widened to other groups.
NCERT notes that in many parts of India Dalit politics and OBC politics have developed independently and often in competition.

6. Questions the book raises. Will the benefits reach the really deprived, or be monopolised by some powerful castes and families within these groups? These are posed as questions for reflection, not conclusions.

Graph checklist. A timeline: 1977-79 Janata, 1978 Commission appointed, 1980 report, August 1990 decision, November 1992 ruling, with the 27 per cent figure highlighted.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

But now the policy of reservation for OBCs has support of all the major political parties of the country.
NCERT, Politics in India since Independence, Chapter 8: After the Supreme Court's 1992 ruling and differences on implementation.
Shows the textbook's account of consensus after the 1990-92 debate.

Mandal Commission, OBC Reservation and the Rise of OBC and Dalit Politics: key facts

Mandal timeline: 1977-79 Janata government
1978 Commission appointed
1980 recommendations
August 1990 implementation decision
November 1992 Supreme Court ruling; Indira Sawhney case.
Mandal Commission facts: Second Backward Classes Commission
Chairperson B.P. Mandal
27 per cent seats and jobs
Land reform also recommended; Backward classes understood as backward castes.
OBC politics: Karpoori Thakur pioneer in Bihar
Janata Dal in 1980s
National Front government 1990
Parties seek share of power; Reservation existed in southern states from the 1960s.
Dalit politics: BAMCEF 1978
Kanshi Ram
BSP 1984
Breakthrough in Uttar Pradesh in 1989 and 1991; Bahujan: SC, ST, OBC and minorities.

How to answer Mandal Commission, OBC Reservation and the Rise of OBC and Dalit Politics questions

Tell the story in order: who, why a Commission, what it recommended, what happened in 1990-92, and the political effects. State pro and anti arguments only as attributed positions.

1Define OBC as an administrative category of communities other than SC and ST that are educationally and socially backward.
2Explain the background: southern states' reservations, Janata government, Karpoori Thakur, 1978 Commission.
3List the recommendations: 27 per cent, backward castes definition, land reform.
4Describe the August 1990 decision, protests, Supreme Court ruling of November 1992.
5Close with the rise of OBC parties and the BSP, and the present party consensus.

Mandal Commission, OBC Reservation and the Rise of OBC and Dalit Politics in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Counting a share

Suppose a department has 400 advertised posts and a new rule reserves 27 per cent of them for a recognised category.

How many posts does the rule set aside, and which NCERT figure does it use?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT's Mandal Commission recommended reserving 27 per cent of seats in educational institutions and government jobs.
27 per cent of 400 = 0.27 x 400 = 108.

Answer: 108 posts (hypothetical numbers), using the Commission's 27 per cent recommendation.

Memory hook: 27 in every 100.

Court as a final check

Suppose a government decision is opposed in the streets, some citizens go to court, and after hearing arguments the court upholds it, after which most parties accept it with differences only on the manner of implementation.

Which NCERT episode does this mirror?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The 1990 decision on OBC reservation in central jobs sparked agitations and a Supreme Court challenge, the Indira Sawhney case.
In November 1992 the Court upheld the decision, and all major parties now support OBC reservation.

Answer: The 1990 OBC reservation decision and the Indira Sawhney judgement of November 1992.

Memory hook: Protest, petition, ruling.

Tricks to remember Mandal Commission, OBC Reservation and the Rise of OBC and Dalit Politics

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

78-80-90-92
Commission 1978, report 1980, decision 1990, ruling 1992.
Use it when: Mandal sequence.
27 and second
27 per cent from the Second Backward Classes Commission.
Use it when: Figure and name.
KT first
Karpoori Thakur pioneered OBC reservation in Bihar.
Use it when: Pioneer.
B-D-B
BAMCEF, Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti, BSP.
Use it when: Steps to the BSP.

Mandal Commission, OBC Reservation and the Rise of OBC and Dalit Politics: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Chairperson of the Commission · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The Second Backward Classes Commission is popularly known as the Mandal Commission after its chairperson:
(A) Karpoori Thakur
(B) Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal
(C) Kanshi Ram
(D) Indira Sawhney

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT: the Commission is popularly known after its Chairperson Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal (1 mark).

Answer: (B) Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal

Example 2: Who are OBCs · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

Explain the term 'Other Backward Classes' and state the share of reservation recommended by the Mandal Commission. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

OBC is an administrative category of communities other than SC and ST that suffer educational and social backwardness (1 mark).
The Commission recommended reserving 27 per cent of seats in educational institutions and government jobs (1 mark).

Answer: Other Backward Classes is an administrative category for communities other than SC and ST that suffer from educational and social backwardness; they are also called backward castes. The Mandal Commission recommended reserving 27 per cent of seats in educational institutions and government jobs for them.

Example 3: Assertion and reason on the Supreme Court ruling · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): The Supreme Court upheld the government's decision on OBC reservation in November 1992.
Reason (R): The decision had been challenged in the Supreme Court in the case known as the Indira Sawhney case.
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false but (R) is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Both statements are in NCERT.
The challenge brought the matter before the Court, but it does not explain why the Court upheld the decision (1 mark).

Answer: (B) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

Example 4: Recommendations of the Mandal Commission · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Describe the work of the Mandal Commission: its purpose, findings and recommendations. (4 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Set up in 1978 as the Second Backward Classes Commission to investigate educational and social backwardness and recommend ways to identify and end it (1 mark).
Recommendations given in 1980; advised that 'backward classes' mean 'backward castes' (1 mark).
Survey found a very low presence of these castes in educational institutions and public services (1 mark).
Recommended 27 per cent reservation in seats and jobs, and land reform (1 mark).

Answer: The central government appointed the Second Backward Classes Commission in 1978, popularly the Mandal Commission, to investigate the extent of educational and social backwardness, to recommend how to identify backward classes and to suggest how to end backwardness. It gave its recommendations in 1980. It advised that 'backward classes' should be understood to mean 'backward castes', since many castes other than the Scheduled Castes were treated as low in the caste hierarchy. A survey found that these castes had a very low presence in educational institutions and public services. It recommended reserving 27 per cent of seats in educational institutions and government jobs, and also suggested measures such as land reform.

Example 5: Source-based: implementation and the courts · 4 marks · Source-basedHarder board level

Read the passage: "In August 1990, the National Front government decided to implement one of the recommendations of Mandal Commission pertaining to reservations for OBCs in jobs in the central government and its undertakings. This decision sparked agitations and violent protests in many cities of north India. The decision was also challenged in the Supreme Court and came to be known as the 'Indira Sawhney case'. In November 1992, the Supreme Court gave a ruling upholding the decision of the government. There were some differences among political parties about the manner of implementation of this decision. But now the policy of reservation for OBCs has support of all the major political parties of the country."
(i) In which month and year did the government decide to implement the recommendation?
(A) January 1978 (B) August 1990 (C) November 1992 (D) March 1980
(ii) The decision concerned reservation for OBCs in:
(A) jobs in the central government and its undertakings (B) only state universities (C) the armed forces only (D) panchayats
(iii) By what name did the court case come to be known?
(A) Shah Bano case (B) Indira Sawhney case (C) Golaknath case (D) Kesavananda case
(iv) What was the Supreme Court's ruling in November 1992?
(A) It struck down the decision (B) It upheld the decision (C) It postponed the matter (D) It referred it to Parliament
Choose the correct option for each.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) August 1990, so (B) (1 mark).
(ii) Jobs in the central government and its undertakings, so (A) (1 mark).
(iii) Indira Sawhney case, so (B) (1 mark).
(iv) Upheld the decision, so (B) (1 mark).

Answer: (i) B; (ii) A; (iii) B; (iv) B

Example 6: HOTS: political effects of the Mandal debate · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Analyse how the Mandal Commission and the 1990 decision influenced Indian politics, and how the political organisation of Dalits developed in the same period. Attribute all arguments to those who held them and give no judgement on parties. (6 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Background: declining OBC support for Congress; Janata Party 1977 and later Janata Dal; National Front government (1 mark).
Commission and recommendations: 1978, 1980, 27 per cent; Karpoori Thakur's earlier policy in Bihar (1 mark).
1990 decision, protests, Supreme Court ruling in 1992 and later consensus (1 mark).
Debate raised OBC identity awareness and mobilisation; parties sought better opportunities and a share in power on the argument of numbers (1 mark).
Dalit organisation: BAMCEF, DS-4, BSP under Kanshi Ram; breakthrough in 1989 and 1991 in Uttar Pradesh (1 mark).
Dalit and OBC politics often developed independently and in competition; questions on who benefits (1 mark).

Answer: NCERT notes that support for the Congress among many backward castes declined, which made space for non-Congress parties. This found national expression in the Janata Party government of 1977, and later in the Janata Dal. Karpoori Thakur, as Chief Minister of Bihar, was a pioneer of OBC reservation in the north, and the central government appointed the Second Backward Classes Commission in 1978. Its 1980 report recommended 27 per cent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs, among other measures. In August 1990 the National Front government decided to implement job reservation in the central government. This led to agitations and violent protests in many north Indian cities and a challenge in the Supreme Court, which upheld the decision in November 1992. NCERT says differences remained about the manner of implementation, but all major parties now support OBC reservation.

The debate made OBC communities more aware of their identity, and parties emerged seeking better opportunities and a share of power, arguing that a large segment of society should have adequate representation. In parallel, the political organisation of Dalits developed from BAMCEF (1978) to the Bahujan Samaj Party under Kanshi Ram, which achieved a breakthrough in Uttar Pradesh in 1989 and 1991. NCERT adds that Dalit and OBC politics have often developed independently and in competition, and poses questions on whether benefits will reach the really deprived.

Where students lose marks in Mandal Commission, OBC Reservation and the Rise of OBC and Dalit Politics

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Writing that reservation for OBC began only in 1990
The 1990 decision is the best known.
Wrong working
OBC reservation was introduced in India in 1990.
Right working
Reservation for OBCs existed in southern states from the 1960s; in 1990 the National Front government decided to implement the Mandal recommendation for central government jobs.
Do this: State the scope of the 1990 decision.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks.
Mistake: Mixing the number 27 per cent with seats only
The recommendation covered both.
Wrong working
27 per cent seats in colleges.
Right working
27 per cent of seats in educational institutions and government jobs.
Do this: Write both institutions and jobs.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Taking sides in the reservation debate
Opinions are written as facts.
Wrong working
Reservation was unfair to upper castes.
Right working
There was an intense national debate for and against reservation in jobs.
Do this: Report arguments as attributed positions.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

Give four dates: 1978, 1980, August 1990 and November 1992, with what happened in each.
Always add that the decision was for central government jobs and undertakings.
Mention that all major parties now support OBC reservation, as NCERT states.
In a question on Dalit politics, connect BAMCEF, DS-4 and the BSP with Kanshi Ram and Uttar Pradesh.

Practice questions on Mandal Commission, OBC Reservation and the Rise of OBC and Dalit Politics

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which of the following leaders is described by NCERT as a pioneer in introducing a policy of reservation for OBCs in north India?
(A) Karpoori Thakur
(B) B. P. Mandal
(C) Kanshi Ram
(D) V. P. Singh
Hint
Chief Minister of Bihar during the Janata government.
Answer
(A) Karpoori Thakur.
Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
What did the Mandal Commission mean by 'backward classes' and why did it adopt that meaning? (2 marks)
Hint
Castes other than Scheduled Castes.
Answer
It advised that 'backward classes' should be understood to mean 'backward castes'. It did so because many castes other than the Scheduled Castes were also treated as low in the caste hierarchy.
Q3 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): The BSP achieved a breakthrough in Uttar Pradesh in 1989 and 1991.
Reason (R): It was the first time in independent India that a party supported mainly by Dalit voters achieved this kind of success.
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false but (R) is true.
Hint
Does R explain why it happened, or what it meant?
Answer
(B) Both are true but R does not explain A: it describes the significance of the breakthrough, not its cause.
Q4 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level
A university has 1,500 seats. Using the Mandal Commission's recommended share, how many seats would be reserved for the backward castes? The Commission was appointed in 1978 and submitted its report in 1980; the Supreme Court ruled in 1992. Find the time between the report and the ruling. (4 marks)
Hint
27 per cent of 1,500; 1992 - 1980.
Answer
Reserved seats = 27 per cent of 1,500 = 0.27 x 1,500 = 405 (hypothetical university). Time between the report (1980) and the ruling (1992) = 1992 - 1980 = 12 years. The Commission took 2 years (1980 - 1978) to report.
Q5 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why did NCERT describe BAMCEF as 'not an ordinary trade union'? Explain its role and what followed from it. (4 marks)
Hint
Bahujan, political power, DS-4, BSP.
Answer
BAMCEF, the Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation, formed in 1978, took a strong position in favour of political power for the bahujan, meaning SC, ST, OBC and minorities, so it was more than an association of employees. Out of it came the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti and later the Bahujan Samaj Party under Kanshi Ram, which began as a small party supported largely by Dalit voters in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Q6 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
NCERT raises the question whether gains from reservation and political mobilisation will be monopolised by some powerful castes and families within backward and Dalit communities. Write a balanced paragraph on this, giving the arguments of those who raise the question and those who emphasise representation. (4 marks)
Hint
Representation argument versus reach to the deprived.
Answer
Parties seeking better opportunities for OBCs argued, as NCERT reports, that since OBCs are a large segment of society it is democratic that they have adequate representation in administration and a due share of political power. The question raised in the book is whether the benefits will go to the really deprived people or be monopolised by some powerful castes and families within these groups, and whether better policies and effective implementation will follow or it will remain a political game. The textbook poses these as questions for reflection and does not give a verdict.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Which two Janata Party constituents had a strong rural base among sections of OBCs?Show answer
The Bharatiya Kranti Dal and the Samyukta Socialist Party.
2.What percentage of seats and jobs did the Mandal Commission recommend for backward castes?Show answer
27 per cent.
3.Which government decided in August 1990 to implement job reservation for OBCs in central government?Show answer
The National Front government.
4.Who founded the BSP?Show answer
Kanshi Ram.
5.Name the three states where the BSP's early support lay.Show answer
Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Mandal Commission, OBC Reservation and the Rise of OBC and Dalit Politics: frequently asked questions

Where did reservation for OBCs already exist before the Mandal debate?

In southern states, since the 1960s if not earlier; the policy was not operative in north Indian states.

What did the Supreme Court do in November 1992?

It gave a ruling upholding the government's decision on OBC reservation in central government jobs.

Did the Commission recommend only reservation?

No, it also made other recommendations like land reform to improve the conditions of the OBCs.

What does 'bahujan' include, according to NCERT?

SC, ST, OBC and minorities.