Three‑Time Bihar CM Shastri’s Reservation Push Cited in Bharat Ratna Call

The demand for Bharat Ratna for Bholanath Prasad Shastri draws attention to his role in championing social justice. During his final stint as chief minister in 1971‑72, Shastri ordered the formation of the Munngeri Lal Commission, which later submitted a report advocating reservation for the most disadvantaged castes. The commission’s recommendations, implemented under Karpoori Thakur’s socialist government, marked a turning point in Bihar’s caste politics and paved the way for the OBC‑mandal movements of the 1990s.