Mandal Reservation: 34 Years On, Recalling the Landmark Supreme Court Verdict

• The 1992 Indira Sawhney vs. Union of India case, also known as the Mandal reservation case, was heard by a 9-judge Supreme Court bench.
• The bench, headed by Chief Justice M.H. Kania, upheld the 27% OBC reservation with a 6:3 majority, with Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy writing the main majority judgment.
• Key conclusions included a 50% reservation limit and mandatory adherence to the 'creamy layer' principle.
• Many judges from the majority, including M.N. Venkatachaliah and A.M. Ahmadi, later became Chief Justices of India, while dissenting Justice Kuldip Singh became known as the "Green Judge."
• Indira Sawhney, a lawyer and social activist, filed the petition challenging the V.P. Singh government's decision to implement the Mandal Commission's recommendations.

Why It Matters: The 1992 Supreme Court verdict on Mandal reservation set crucial precedents for India's affirmative action policy.