Page 14 - NIS English 16-31 August 2025
P. 14
PERSONALITY | BP Mandal
Brought Justice to
Backward
Classes
Birth: 25 August 1918, Death: 13 April 1982
August 7, 1990 – a day that began like
any other. But that evening, during
a routine Cabinet meeting at Prime
Minister VP Singh’s residence, a historic
and unforeseen decision was made. The
Mondal Commission report had been After three decades of unfulfilled
in abeyance for nearly a decade. The demands, the OBC Commission
was granted constitutional status
Commission, headed by Bindeshwari Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also mentioned
Prasad Mandal had proposed that keeping the recommendations of the Mandal
27% of government jobs be reserved Commission, along with the Kaka Kalelkar
Commission, suppressed for a long time. During a
for other Backward Classes (OBCs). special discussion on 14 December 2024 on the 75th
The approval of this report marked a anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, he
turning point. It not only reshaped the said that if the Mandal Commission report had not
been kept pending for such a long time, then today,
social and political landscape of India, people of backward classes would have been serving in
but also granted the underprivileged the many posts in the country. Taking forward the vision
of BP Mandal, the central government has taken many
opportunity to join the mainstream. steps in the interest of the backward classes….
n By fulfilling the demand pending for nearly three
P Mandal, who belonged to a landlord decades to give constitutional status to the OBC
family in Murho village, about 15 km Commission, Prime Minister Modi gave the
from Madhepura district of Bihar, was backward society their rights.
Bborn on 25 August 1918 in Banaras. n For the first time, a 27 percent reservation was
He faced difficulties right from his birth. His given in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya,
father died the very next day. After his initial Sainik School, and NEET examinations.
education amid hardships, he was sent to a
hostel in Darbhanga. But his difficulties did n Under the Shreyas scheme for OBC and EBC, Rs
585.02 crore was spent for 38,011 beneficiaries from
not end here as well. In the hostel, food was 2014-15 to 2023-24.
given first to the children of upper castes.
His turn came after them. The front benches n Scholarships given to the youth of the OBC
in the class were reserved for them. But BP society were increased. The central
had now made up his mind to face it instead government implemented a 27
percent reservation for OBCs in the
of tolerating it. He gathered the boys of his All India quota in medical seats.
group in the hostel and clashed with the man-
12
12 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || August 16-31, 2025
