Appointed in 1979 by the Janata Party government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai, the Mandal Commission's mandate was to identify socially and educationally disadvantaged groups in India and propose measures for their upliftment, especially concerning employment and education. The commission's proposals, notably reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in public service and academia, faced initial opposition but were eventually enacted in the 1990s. The Mandal Commission's work proved pivotal in India's affirmative action framework.
The commission's report substantially reshaped Indian society by contesting the prevailing reservation policies and advancing social equity for marginalized populations.