Author:

Prof. (Dr.) Manosanta Biswas
Department of History
Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University
Purulia,West Bengal,India

Email: manosantabiswas@gmail.com

Abstract::Abstract::Bindeshwari Prasad Mandal (1918–1982) occupies a seminal place in India’s social justice
history. He was born in Bihar, India, into a Yadav family, a community traditionally classified under the
Other Backward Classes. His political journey began early, influenced by the national movement and
social justice causes. Mandal was elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1952 and served in various
political capacities, including as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a brief period in 1968. As chairman of
the Second Backward Classes Commission (Mandal Commission), he provided empirical tools for
identifying backwardness and laid the foundation for reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
This paper explores Mandal’s life, political milieu, the rationale behind the Mandal Commission, and the
long-term socio-political consequences of his work for OBC empowerment. It argues that Mandal’s
contribution was not merely administrative but a transformative intervention in India’s caste-class
dynamics.

Key Words::Caste,Class, Mandal Commission, Other Backward Classes, Upliftment etc.