Mandal Commission — Definition

Definition

The Mandal Commission was the Second Backward Classes Commission, appointed in 1979 under Article 340 to investigate socially and educationally backward classes and recommend measures for their advancement.

Chaired by B. P. Mandal, it submitted its report in December 1980. Its history includes identification methods, the recommendation associated with 27 per cent Central Government employment reservation, later executive implementation and judicial scrutiny.

These stages must be distinguished: the report did not itself immediately implement one identical policy across all institutions. Its historical population estimate is also not a current census measurement.