Statement I : The Poona Pact provided for 151 reserved seats for the scheduled castes to be elected by a joint, not separate, electorate. Statement I : Dr. B. R. Ambedkar withdrew from active politics for almost a decade when the Communal Award was revoked.

Statement I is true as the Poona Pact (1932) replaced separate electorates with reserved seats in a joint electorate [2]. While the initial agreement mentioned 147 seats for provincial legislatures [1], the Government of India Act 1935, which implemented the Pact's provisions, increased this to 151 seats. Statement II is false because Dr. B.R. Ambedkar did not withdraw from active politics for a decade after the Communal Award was revoked. On the contrary, he remained highly active, founding the Independent Labour Party in 1936, contesting the 1937 provincial elections, and serving on the Viceroy's Executive Council in 1942. His political engagement continued through the formation of the All India Scheduled Castes Federation in 1942, demonstrating consistent leadership rather than a decade-long withdrawal.

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Poona Pact > p. 392
2. [2] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Discuss > p. 44