Mandal Commission and reservation for OBCs
o    The Mandal Commission that looked into the issue of extending reservation for OBCs has based its recommendations on the 1931 census to make out a case for reserving 27% of the seats in government jobs and educational institutions.
o    Round 2003 of the NSS (National Sample Survey) states that non-Muslim OBCs comprised a mere 23% of the total population.

Ranganath Commission report

Two years after it was submitted to the government, report of the National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities is ready to be tabled in the Parliament.

Accordingly, the recommendation is to reserve 15 per cent of posts in all cadres and grades under the Central and State governments for the religious and linguistic minorities. Of this, 10 per cent quota is recommended for Muslims and the rest for other minorities.

13th Finance Commission
The 13th Finance Commission, which makes recommendations on sharing of tax revenues by the Centre and States, has suggested a new path for fiscal prudence in its report submitted to President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil on December 30, 2009.

The Commission was headed by Vijay Kelkar. Other members of the Commission were B.K. Chaturvedi, Indira Rajaraman, Atul Sarma and Sanjiv Misra.

The recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said “would get reflected in the 2010-11 Budget”.
The report, Kelkar said, dealt with the sharing of tax revenue between the Centre and States, distribution of funds among States and support to local bodies. The Finance Commission report assumes significance in view of the ongoing reforms in indirect and direct taxes, which will have a bearing on the tax collections.