Modi pays tribute to V.P. Singh on his birth anniversary

New Delhi, June 25
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to former prime minister V.P. Singh on his birth anniversary.

In a tweet, Modi said: "I pay my tributes to the former Prime Minister of India, Shri VP Singh on his birth anniversary."

V.P. Singh, born on June 25, 1931 in Allahabad, was the eighth prime minister of India and remained in office for slightly less than a year from 1989 to 1990.

Known for trying to improve the lot of India's lower castes, Singh decided to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission which suggested 27 percent of all jobs in the public sector be reserved for members of the Other Backward Classes (OBC).

This decision led to widespread protests among the upper caste youth in urban areas in northern India. OBC reservation was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2008.

He died on November 27, 2008.