mandal

Mandal is a term with multiple meanings in the Indian subcontinent. It derives from Sanskrit mandala, meaning circle, disk, or boundary, and in various languages it came to denote a territorial or organizational unit as well as a symbolic circle in ritual contexts.

In administration, a mandal is a sub-district unit used in states such as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it sits between the district and the village. It is typically governed by a Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) who oversees revenue collection, administration, and development programs. A district is divided into several mandals, which in turn are subdivided into villages. The exact function and naming can vary by state; elsewhere in India, similar sub-district units may be called taluk or tehsil.

The term Mandal is also associated with the Mandal Commission, formally the Second Backward Classes Commission, chaired by B. P. Mandal in the 1980s. Its report recommended extending reservations for Other Backward Classes to about 27% of government jobs and educational seats. The recommendations were implemented in 1990, prompting widespread protests and a landmark Supreme Court decision in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992), which upheld the framework with certain safeguards.

Beyond administration, mandal appears in cultural and religious contexts as mandala, a circular diagram used in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism for meditation and ritual purposes. The term is also used as a surname in India and Nepal and can feature in place names.