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Which among the following was not one of the provisions of the ‘Communal Award’?
Explanation
The Communal Award, announced by Ramsay MacDonald in August 1932, provided for separate electorates for Muslims, Sikhs, Europeans, and other minorities [c1, t1]. Crucially, it extended separate electorates to the 'Depressed Classes' (Scheduled Castes), granting them reserved seats to be filled through these electorates [c4, t2]. While the Award allowed for a review of the system after a period of time, it did not contain a provision stating that separate electorates would automatically lapse at the end of 10 years. This specific '10-year lapse' clause is often confused with the later constitutional provision for reservation in independent India (Article 334) or the review period of the Government of India Act 1919 [t3]. The Poona Pact later modified the Award by replacing separate electorates for Depressed Classes with reserved seats within the general Hindu electorate [c5, t4].
Sources
- [1] Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 1: Historical Background > The features of this Act were as follows: > p. 7
- [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Communal Award and Poona Pact > p. 389
- [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Poona Pact > p. 392
- [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communal_Award
SIMILAR QUESTIONS
Which one among the following was demanded by the All India Depressed classes Leaders' Conference at Bombay in 1931?
Statement 1 ; Mahatma Gandhi went on a fast unto death against the Communal Award announced by the British Government. Statement I : The Poona Pact resulted in a joint electorate with an enhanced number of seats reserved for Depressed Classes.
Which among the following was NOT a provision of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact?
A) Immediate release of all political prisoners of the Civil Disobedience Movement
B) Clause 2 of the March 1931 pact defined ‘reservations and safeguards’ to cover financial credit of India
C) The return of confiscated land already sold to third parties
D) Reservation of 18 per cent seats for Depressed classes