Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Mandal Commission report was a scheme for affirmative action for socially underprivileged sections of society.
Statement II: The Mandal Commission report was submitted to Government of India in 1979.
In light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below.

Correct option is C

Statement I is correct as the Mandal Commission was established to identify socially and educationally backward classes (OBCs) and recommend affirmative action for them. This included reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to uplift these disadvantaged groups.
Statement II, however, is incorrect. The Mandal Commission was indeed formed in 1979 by Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s government, but the report was not submitted in 1979. The final report was submitted to the Government of India in 1980. The recommendations of the Mandal Commission, particularly the 27% reservation for OBCs, became highly contentious and were later implemented by Prime Minister V.P. Singh's government in 1990.
Information Booster:
1. The Mandal Commission was formally known as the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission.
2. The Commission used eleven indicators to identify backwardness, categorized under social, economic, and educational criteria.
3. The recommendation of 27% reservation for OBCs was a pivotal point in Indian affirmative action policies.
4. The Mandal Commission's recommendations led to widespread protests in 1990, especially among upper-caste groups.
5. The implementation of the report in 1990 by V.P. Singh triggered massive student protests and even led to some tragic incidents of self-immolation.
6. The Commission's report also emphasized that OBCs made up around 52% of India's population at the time.
Additional Information:
· Statement I: Affirmative action policies like the Mandal Commission are meant to provide equality by offering reservations to disadvantaged groups.
· Statement II: While the Commission was formed in 1979, the actual report submission happened in 1980. The delay between formation and submission is an important historical detail.
· The OBC reservation issue continues to be politically significant and is debated in various forms, especially concerning the implementation of quotas in education and employment.