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Who prescribed the separate electorates for India on the basis of the Communal Award in August 1932 ?
Explanation
The Communal Award was announced on August 16, 1932, by the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. Also known as the MacDonald Award, it was introduced following the Round Table Conferences (1930–1932) to resolve the deadlock over minority representation in India [1]. The award extended the system of separate electorates to various minority communities, including Muslims, Sikhs, Europeans, and most controversially, the 'Depressed Classes' (now Scheduled Castes). This move was intended to provide specific political representation but was viewed by Mahatma Gandhi as a British attempt to divide Hindu society. Gandhi's opposition led to a fast unto death in Yeravda Jail, which eventually resulted in the Poona Pact of September 1932, where Dr. B.R. Ambedkar agreed to joint electorates with reserved seats for the Depressed Classes instead of separate electorates.
Sources
- [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communal_Award