The correct answer is option (4) - V. P. Singh
The central government appointed a Commission in 1978 to look into and recommend ways to improve the conditions of the backward classes. This was the second time since Independence that the government had appointed such a commission. Therefore, this commission was officially known as the Second Backward Classes Commission. Popularly, the commission is known as the Mandal Commission, after the name of its Chairperson, Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal (B.P. Mandal).
The Mandal Commission was set up to investigate the extent of educational and social backwardness among various sections of Indian society and recommend ways of identifying these ‘backward classes’. It was also expected to give its recommendations on the ways in which this backwardness could be ended. The Mandal Commission gave its recommendations in 1980. By then the Janata government had fallen. The Commission advised that ‘backward classes’ should be understood to mean ‘backward castes’, since many castes, other than the Scheduled Castes, were also treated as low in the caste hierarchy. The Commission did a survey and found that these backward castes had a very low presence in both educational institutions and in employment in public services. It therefore recommended reserving 27 per cent of seats in educational institutions and government jobs for these groups. The Mandal Commission also made many other recommendations, like, land reform, to improve the conditions of the OBCs.
In August 1990, the National Front government made the crucial choice to put into effect one of the recommendations put forth by the Mandal Commission. This particular recommendation concerned the reservation of positions for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) within the central government and its affiliated entities.
Vishwanath Pratap Singh, often referred to as V.P. Singh, was the Prime Minister of India who implemented the recommendations of the Mandal Commission related to reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in government jobs and educational institutions.
Subsequently, the decision was legally contested and escalated to the Supreme Court, ultimately becoming known as the 'Indira Sawhney case,' named after one of the individuals who filed the petition. In November 1992, the Supreme Court issued a verdict that upheld the government's decision |
