The Supreme Court Ruling on Reservation and Its Implications

Source-This post on The Supreme Court Ruling on Reservation and Its Implications has been created based on the article “The post-Mandal moment is here — and it calls for a new politics” published in “The Indian Express” on 14 August 2024.

UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-2- Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes; Mechanisms, Laws, Institutions and Bodies constituted for the Protection and Betterment of these Vulnerable Sections.

Context-The Supreme Court’s recent ruling allowing states to sub-classify SCs and STs for reservations has sparked mixed reactions. Political parties are largely non-committal, and many supporters of reservation policies are critical. This reflects a growing discomfort with how caste-based reservations have evolved since the Mandal era.

What is the Historical Context of Mandal Politics?

1) Pre-Mandal Phase- This period focused on fighting caste discrimination, inspired by reformers like Jyotiba Phule, Periyar, and B.R. Ambedkar. Their work laid the foundation for addressing the needs of backward castes in the 1960s.

2) Post-Mandal Phase- The post-Mandal phase, starting with the Mandal Commission Report, focused on reservations and shaped politics from 1967, especially in North India. By the late 1990s, Mandal politics had reached its height and then faded. Major political parties adopted the reservation approach but focused mainly on numerical representation, ignoring the more complex issues of caste-based injustice.

What is the Essence of Mandal Politics?

A) Examination of Representation and Power– Mandal politics revealed the limited diversity of elites and emphasized the need to address power imbalances, not just count castes. It highlighted the importance of fair representation and tackling deeper power inequalities.

B) Strengthening Reservation and Social Justice- The Mandal moment advocated for enhancing the reservation system and extending it beyond SCs and STs to include promotions. However, this focus on reservations allowed policymakers to overlook wider social justice concerns resulting in bureaucratic inefficiencies and legal disputes.

C) Mobilization and Social Blocs– Mandal politics encouraged the formation of social groups, which helped backward communities participate more in politics and strengthen democracy. However, it also led to single-caste identities, creating competing political factions and neutralized potential gains with short-term tactics.

What are the implications of Supreme Court Ruling?

The Supreme Court ruling has raised critical questions about the future of reservations and social justice:

A) Adapting Reservation Policies: – How can policies be changed to better help the most disadvantaged people in these groups?

B) New Power Dynamics- As society evolves, how can emerging power imbalances beyond traditional caste distinctions be addressed?

C) Permanent Caste Blocs-Are SCs, STs, and OBCs permanent groups, or should politics evolve to reflect new socio-economic and democratic realities?

Conclusion– The current challenges in the reservation system highlight that the old Mandal-era methods and language are no longer effective. There is a need to create new strategies to address the changing issues of social justice and caste-based reservations.

Question for practice

What is the historical background of Mandal politics? What defines the core principles of Mandal politics? What are the effects of the recent Supreme Court ruling?