Question

Explain any four consequences of the implementation of Mandal Commission Report in 1990.

Hint:

In 1990 the National Front government accepted 27 percent job reservation for OBCs. This led to protests, a Supreme Court ruling with the creamy layer, and a new OBC based politics.

Answer 1

Step 1: Background:
The Mandal Commission recommended 27 percent reservation in government jobs for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
In August 1990 the National Front government under V. P. Singh decided to implement this. It had big effects on Indian politics and society.

Step 2: Consequence 1 - Protests and violence:
Students and others in many parts of north India opposed the move. There were strikes, road blocks and some cases of self-burning.
The country faced sharp tension over reservation.

Step 3: Consequence 2 - Legal debate and the Supreme Court:
The decision was challenged in the Supreme Court. In the Indra Sawhney case (1992) the Court upheld the 27 percent quota.
It also said that the creamy layer of the OBCs must be left out, and that total reservation should not cross 50 percent.

Step 4: Consequence 3 - Rise of OBC politics:
The OBCs became a strong political group. Parties and leaders who spoke for the backward classes gained support, mostly in north India.
Politics moved towards caste based mobilisation, often called Mandal politics.

Step 5: Consequence 4 - Change in party strategies:
All parties had to take a position on reservation and social justice. Many started to include OBC leaders and promise benefits for them.
The issue also shaped competition with other movements of that time and made coalition politics stronger.

Final Answer:
The Mandal decision of 1990 led to protests, a Supreme Court judgment with the creamy layer rule, the rise of OBC politics, and changes in the strategies of political parties.