RAS question
The Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) case is known as the:
Correct answer: (B) Mandal Commission case.
Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) is known as the Mandal Commission case.
Explanation
Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) is the Mandal Commission case because the Supreme Court was considering the Government of India's office memoranda issued after accepting part of the Mandal Commission's recommendations. The National Commission for Backward Classes calls the judgment in Indra Sawhney, reported as (1992) Supp. 3 SCC 217, "popularly known as Mandal Case" and later refers to it as the "Mandal Commission Case". The case arose around 27% reservation in civil posts and services under the Government of India for OBCs. The exam-critical holdings are that the Court upheld 27% OBC reservation, fixed a 50% ceiling, excluded the creamy layer, and held that Article 16(4) did not permit reservation in promotions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The National Commission for Backward Classes identifies Indra Sawhney as the Mandal Case and discusses OBC reservation, not Aadhaar.
- (C) The question asks the recognised name of Indra Sawhney, which is the Mandal Commission case, not the Privacy case.
- (D) Indra Sawhney is linked to the Mandal Commission and reservation principles, so Basic Structure case is not the label supported for this 1992 judgment.
Concept
This tests the constitutional law cluster on reservation under Article 16 and landmark Supreme Court judgments. It recurs in RAS because Mandal is the standard reference point for OBC reservation, the creamy-layer rule, the 50% ceiling, and promotion-related limits.