Communal Award and Poona Pact (1932)

Total Questions: 24

1. separate electoral group was made by the communal Tribunal of Ramsay MacDonald first time in August, 1932— [42nd B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1997]

Correct Answer: (d) for Untouchables
Solution:British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald announced Communal Award on 16 August, 1932. According to Legislative Assembly provisions, few seats of Legislative Assembly were reserved for minorities whose candidates were to be elected by separate electorates.

Muslims and Sikhs were already considered as minorities. Now the depressed, Dalits (untouchables) were to be declared as minorities as per provisions of the new law.

2. Consider the statements: [U.P.R.O. / A.R.O. (Mains) 2017]

Assertion (A): The British Government announced the Communal Award in August 1932.

Reason (R): It allowed to each minority a number of seats in the legislature to be elected on the basis of a separate electorate.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Correct Answer: (a) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Solution:British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald announced Communal Award on 16 August, 1932. According to Legislative Assembly provisions, few seats of Legislative Assembly were reserved for minorities whose candidates were to be elected by separate electorates.

Muslims and Sikhs were already considered as minorities. Now the depressed, Dalits (untouchables) were to be declared as minorities as per provisions of the new law.

3. When did Mahatma Gandhi start first fast unto death? [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]

Correct Answer: (a) At the time of Communal Award
Solution:On September 20, 1932, Mahatma Gandhi began his first Fast unto death in Yerawada Jail to protest Communal Award of British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald.

On 24 September, 1932 Poona Pact was signed between followers of Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar. After that it was given approved and fast ended on 26 September, 1932.

4. Which were not allocated separate electorate and reserved seats by Communal Award of MacDonald? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2001]

Correct Answer: (d) Buddhists
Solution:British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald announced Communal Award on August 16, 1932 in which separate electorates were granted not only to Muslims but also to depressed class.

In addition to this Indian Christians, Sikhs, Anglo-Indian and others were granted the separate electorates which were applicable only to provincial legislative assemblies. Hence, it is clear that Buddhists were not granted separate electorates.

5. In August 1932, British Prime Minister announced the scheme for representation of depressed classes. This was called Communal Award. Gandhiji started fast unto death in opposition to this scheme in which jail? [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2022]

Correct Answer: (c) Yerawada Jail
Solution:On September 20, 1932, Mahatma Gandhi began his first Fast unto death in Yerawada Jail to protest Communal Award of British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald.

On 24 September, 1932 Poona Pact was signed between followers of Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar. After that it was given approved and fast ended on 26 September, 1932.

6. Mahatma Gandhi undertook fast unto death in 1932, mainly because: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2012]

Correct Answer: (c) Ramsay MacDonald announced the Communal Award
Solution:On September 20, 1932, Mahatma Gandhi began his first Fast unto death in Yerawada Jail to protest Communal Award of British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald.

On 24 September, 1932 Poona Pact was signed between followers of Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar. After that it was given approved and fast ended on 26 September, 1932.

7. How many seats were given to depressed classes under Communal Award and Poona Pact? [47th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2005]

Correct Answer: (b) 71 and 147 respectively
Solution:The number of reserved seats for depressed classes in Provincial Legislatures were 71 in Communal Award which was increased to 148 by Poona Pact (Madras = 30, Sindh with Bombay = 15, Punjab = 8, Bihar and Odisha = 18, Central Provinces = 20, Assam = 7, Bengal = 30, United Provinces = 20).

Though, some books mentioned that there are 147 seats. In addition to this, 18% seats in General class seats were reserved for depressed class in Central Legislature.

8. The Poona Pact was concerned with: [U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2008 U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2007 U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1996]

Correct Answer: (a) Depressed classes
Solution:The number of reserved seats for depressed classes in Provincial Legislatures were 71 in Communal Award which was increased to 148 by Poona Pact (Madras = 30, Sindh with Bombay = 15, Punjab = 8, Bihar and Odisha = 18, Central Provinces = 20, Assam = 7, Bengal = 30, United Provinces = 20).

Though, some books mentioned that there are 147 seats. In addition to this, 18% seats in General class seats were reserved for depressed class in Central Legislature.

9. The purpose of Poona Pact was: [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1997 46th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2004]

Correct Answer: (b) To provide representation of untouchables
Solution:The number of reserved seats for depressed classes in Provincial Legislatures were 71 in Communal Award which was increased to 148 by Poona Pact (Madras = 30, Sindh with Bombay = 15, Punjab = 8, Bihar and Odisha = 18, Central Provinces = 20, Assam = 7, Bengal = 30, United Provinces = 20).

Though, some books mentioned that there are 147 seats. In addition to this, 18% seats in General class seats were reserved for depressed class in Central Legislature.

10. After Poona Pact of 1932, Harijan Sewak Sangh was established. Its President was: [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2011, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1994]

Correct Answer: (b) Ghanshyam Das Birla
Solution:After Poona Pact, 1932, Mahatma Gandhi was not actively involved in Civil Disobedience Movement but now he took an interest in anti-untouchability movements and "All India Anti-Untouchability League" was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1932 whose name was later changed to "Harijan Sevak Sangh." Ghanshyam Das Birla was the first President of this institution.