Round Table Conferences to Government of India Act 1935: Complete Constitutional Roadmap

Quick Answer: The three Round Table Conferences (1930–1932) discussed India’s constitutional future but deadlocked over minority representation and federal structure. The Communal Award (August 1932) granted separate electorates to the Depressed Classes, which the Poona Pact (September 1932) replaced with reserved seats. Based on the White Paper of 1933, the Government of India Act 1935 introduced provincial autonomy, dyarchy at the centre, a federal scheme, the RBI, and extended franchise — the longest statute the British Parliament had ever passed for India.

Quick Answer: How the Round Table Conferences Led to the Government of India Act 1935

For Prelims, remember this chain of five exam-ready lines:

• 1930–31: First Round Table Conference in London — Congress absent (Civil Disobedience Movement), 58 Indian delegates attended.
• 1931: Gandhi–Irwin Pact brought Congress in; Second RTC deadlocked over separate electorates.
• 1932: Communal Award announced separate electorates for Depressed Classes → Gandhi’s fast → Poona Pact gave reserved seats instead.
• 1932–33: Third RTC (Congress absent) → White Paper 1933.
• 1935: Government of India Act — provincial autonomy, dyarchy at the centre, RBI, Federal Court.

Background: Why the Round Table Conferences Were Called

The constitutional impasse of the late 1920s made a fresh dialogue unavoidable:

• Simon Commission (1927–1930): An all-white commission to review the reforms of 1919, boycotted nationwide with the cry “Simon, Go Back”.
• Nehru Report (1928): Congress’s own constitutional outline demanding dominion status, fundamental rights and joint electorates.
• Jinnah’s Fourteen Points (1929): The Muslim League’s counter-charter insisting on separate electorates and one-third representation in the central legislature.
• Irwin’s Declaration (October 1929): Viceroy Lord Irwin stated that dominion status was the natural outcome of India’s constitutional progress, and proposed Round Table Conferences in London.

First Round Table Conference (Nov 1930 – Jan 1931)

Held in London and presided over by Ramsay MacDonald, the British Prime Minister. Key facts for exams:

• 58 Indian delegates attended, representing princes, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Anglo-Indians, liberals and others.
• Congress was absent because the Civil Disobedience Movement was at its peak and most leaders were in jail.
• It broadly agreed on a federal structure for India and discussed minority representation — but without Congress, its decisions carried little weight.

Gandhi–Irwin Pact and Congress Entry into Talks

On 5 March 1931, Gandhi and Viceroy Irwin signed a pact: the government would release political prisoners and allow salt-making for personal use; Gandhi would suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and attend the Second RTC. Gandhi attended as the sole official representative of the Congress.

Second Round Table Conference (Sept – Dec 1931)

Again held in London, with Gandhi facing Ambedkar, Jinnah and other delegates. The flashpoint was separate electorates for minorities. Gandhi argued he spoke for all communities including the Depressed Classes; minority leaders insisted on statutory safeguards. The conference ended in deadlock, and Gandhi returned empty-handed. Civil Disobedience was resumed on return; the government responded with repression, and Gandhi was arrested in January 1932.

Communal Award 1932: Ramsay MacDonald’s Decision

On 16 August 1932, British PM Ramsay MacDonald announced the Communal Award, extending separate electorates to minorities including the Depressed Classes (Scheduled Castes). Gandhi, then in Yerwada Jail, began a fast unto death, opposing the division of Hindus into separate electorates. The result was the Poona Pact (24 September 1932), signed by Gandhi and Ambedkar: separate electorates for the Depressed Classes were replaced by reserved seats in provincial legislatures (148 seats, increased from the Award’s 71).

Third Round Table Conference (Nov – Dec 1932)

Congress was absent again. Mostly technical in nature, it finalised the framework that became the White Paper of 1933 — the official blueprint on which the Joint Select Committee of Parliament (chaired by Lord Linlithgow) built the Government of India Act 1935.

Government of India Act 1935: Key Features for Prelims

• Abolition of dyarchy in provinces; provincial autonomy introduced — ministries responsible to provincial legislatures (from 1937).
• Dyarchy at the centre: federal subjects transferred vs. reserved (defence, external affairs, ecclesiastical affairs, tribal areas).
• All-India Federation proposed with princely states and British provinces as units — never fully operational because princes did not join.
• Bicameral legislatures in 6 provinces: Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Bihar, Assam and the United Provinces.
• RBI established (1935) to regulate currency and credit — a direct product of the Act.
• Franchise extended to about 10% of the population.
• Separation of Burma and Aden from India (effective 1937).
• Provided for a Federal Court (established 1 October 1937) and a Federal Railway Authority.
• Replaced the Indian Council of the Secretary of State with a team of advisors.

For official background, see the Parliament of India’s constitutional history resources and the RBI’s own history pages at rbi.org.in; archival texts are catalogued by the UK National Archives. Verify any exam notification or dates you cite against pib.gov.in.

Abolition of Indian Council and Creation of Federal Court — Common MCQ Facts

• The Secretary of State’s India Council was abolished; he instead appointed 2–3 permanent under-secretaries and advisers (usually with Indian experience of at least 10 years).
• The Federal Court was established on 1 October 1937 in Delhi, with a Chief Justice and up to 6 judges; Sir Maurice Gwyer was the first Chief Justice.
• Burma was separated in 1937 (governed under its own Act) and Aden was detached, becoming a Crown colony.
• The Act had 321 sections and 10 schedules — the longest British statute for India.

How the 1935 Act Shapes the Indian Constitution Today

Although the Constitution of 1950 replaced the Act, several features were carried forward:

• Federal scheme and the distribution of powers (Federal List → Union List concepts)
• Office of Governor
• Emergency provisions (Article 356 echoes Section 93)
• Public Service Commissions (Federal and Provincial PSCs → UPSC and State PSCs)
• Administrative details and the structure of the judiciary at the higher level

PYQ Analysis: How UPSC and State PSCs Test This Topic

• RTC participants and outcomes: Which RTC did Gandhi attend? (Second — as sole Congress representative.) Who chaired/presided? (Ramsay MacDonald.)
• Communal Award vs Poona Pact: Matching questions on separate electorates vs reserved seats, seat numbers and signatories.
• 1935 Act features: Dyarchy location (centre, not provinces), bicameral provinces count (6), RBI year (1935), federal scheme never fully in operation.
• Continuity questions: Which 1935 Act features survive in the Constitution — a favourite in UPSC Prelims and State PSCs.

One-Page Revision Table and Memory Tricks

Mnemonic for 1935 Act features — “PA-FRBC”: Provincial autonomy, Abolition of Indian Council, Federal scheme, RBI, Bicameral provinces (6), Communal representation via separate electorates retained.

Chain trick: “3 RTCs → 1 White Paper → 1 Act” and “1 Award → 1 fast → 1 Pact (Poona)”.

Frequently Asked Questions

What were the outcomes of the three Round Table Conferences?

The First (1930–31) agreed on a federal framework but lacked Congress. The Second (1931) deadlocked over separate electorates. The Third (1932) produced technical groundwork that became the White Paper of 1933 — the basis of the GoI Act 1935.

Why did the Congress boycott the First and Third Round Table Conferences?

Congress stayed away from the First because the Civil Disobedience Movement was active and its leaders were jailed; it skipped the Third after the failure of the Second RTC and renewed government repression.

What was the Communal Award and how did the Poona Pact change it?

The Communal Award (16 August 1932) gave the Depressed Classes separate electorates with 71 seats. After Gandhi’s fast, the Poona Pact (24 September 1932) replaced separate electorates with reserved seats within the general electorate, raised to 148 seats.

What are the main features of the Government of India Act 1935?

Provincial autonomy, dyarchy at the centre, an All-India Federation scheme, bicameralism in 6 provinces, RBI establishment, extended franchise (~10%), Federal Court, abolition of the Secretary of State’s India Council, and separation of Burma and Aden.

Which features of the 1935 Act were retained in the Indian Constitution?

The federal scheme, office of Governor, emergency provisions, public service commissions, and much of the administrative machinery were carried into the Constitution of 1950.

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