Question

Explain the “Indira Sawhney and others vs Union of India case” along with its major reforms.

Answer 1

Mandal commission became highly controversial because of the following:

• Mandal commission recommended  27% of government jobs to be reserved for socially and educationally backward classes. Till before, provision of reservation was only restricted to Schedule castes and schedule tribes.
• It led to entire debate between the pro and anti reservation group.
• People supporting reservation felt that it was an attempt to create egalitarian society. Reservation are only corrective and defensive mechanism to protect minorities from the majorities and do away with the existing inequalities.
• On the other hand, those against felt that it undermined the importance of merit. 
• Following the outrage against the order and protest, a court case was filed against the order.
• ​The Supreme Court of India bunched the cases together. This case was known as the ‘Indira Sawhney and others Vs Union of India case'.
• The court upheld the order but asked the government to make modifications excluding well to do amongst the backward classes from the benefits of reservation.