When did depressed classes get the reserved seats in provincial and central legislative councils, but they were to be voted in by General electorate? 

The correct answer is September 1932.

Key Points

• Poona Pact: (1932)
  • Poona Pact was signed in the year 1932.
  • The reason for the Poona Pact was the Communal Award of August 1932 which provided a separate electorate for depressed classes.
  • Poona pact signed between Dr B R Ambedkar and Gandhiji.
  • Poona pact was signed on September 24, 1932, at Yerwada Jail in Pune.
  • Madan Mohan Malaviya signed it on behalf of upper-caste Hindus and Gandhi.
  • Ambedkar signed on behalf of depressed classes.
  • The final outcome of the Poona pact was 147 electoral seats.
• Provisions of the Poona Pact: 
  • Seats would be reserved for the ‘Depressed classes’ in the Provincial Councils.
  • The number of seats reserved for the provinces depended on the strength of the provinces:
  • Madras: 30; Punjab: 8; Bombay and Sindh: 15; Central Provinces: 20; Bihar and Orissa: 18; Bengal: 30; United Provinces: 20; and Assam: 7 (Total reserved: 148)
  • In the Central Legislature, 19% of the seats would be reserved for the Depressed Classes.
  • The members of the depressed classes who were eligible to vote would form an electoral college.
  • This College would elect four candidates among the depressed classes on the basis of a single vote.
  • That is, the candidates with the four highest numbers of votes would form the panel of four).
  • Then, these four candidates would stand for election with the general candidates for election to the assembly.
  • This time, the general electorate would vote. Thus, in effect, the depressed classes got a ‘double vote’ since they formed part of the general electorate also.
    This principle of ‘Joint electorate and reserved seats’ was to be followed in the Central Assembly too.
  • It was agreed that this system would continue for ten years unless it was ended by mutual consent sooner.
  • It was also agreed upon to allocate a certain portion of money from the educational grant for the education of the depressed classes in all the provinces.
  • Nobody would be discriminated against because they belonged to the depressed classes in the matter of election to the local bodies or appointment to government service.