What was the primary focus of the Mandal Commission's recommendations?

Allocating seats in educational institutions and government jobs for backward castes.

The Mandal Commission was established with the primary objective of examining the level of educational and societal disadvantages experienced by various segments of the Indian population. Its purpose was to propose methods for identifying these marginalized 'backward classes' within society and to offer strategies for alleviating their disadvantaged status. In 1980, the Commission issued its recommendations, although this occurred after the collapse of the Janata government.

Central to its findings was the proposal that 'backward classes' should be interpreted as 'backward castes,' as the Commission recognized that numerous castes, aside from the Scheduled Castes, were also positioned at lower rungs of the caste hierarchy. Through an extensive survey, the Commission unearthed a notable underrepresentation of these backward castes both in educational institutions and within the public sector workforce. To address this disparity, the Commission suggested earmarking 27 percent of seats in educational institutions and government jobs for these groups.