India, Feb. 9 -- When the Mandal Commission report, recommending 27% reservation for the Other Backward Castes (OBC), was implemented 10 years after it was submitted, it triggered violent protests in 1990. The protests coincided with the Ram Temple movement and deepened caste divisions, which were somewhat bridged over the years, even as caste remained a major factor in Uttar Pradesh elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would overcome the adverse impact of the Mandir (kamandal) versus Mandal politics by balancing the two. The introduction of the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 on January 13, tested the BJP's balancing until the Supreme Court stayed them on Janua...