Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Dalit leaders like Dr Ambedkar argued that political empowerment through separate electorates was the true path to ending social disabilities. Their core reasoning was that having their own elected representatives in legislative councils would give dalits real power to change laws and policies affecting them, rather than depending on the goodwill of upper-caste reformers.

They distrusted the Congress because:

• Congress had long ignored dalit issues to avoid offending conservative high-caste Hindus (sanatanis).
• Gandhi's approach relied on persuading upper castes to reform voluntarily, which dalits saw as slow and uncertain.
• Dalits believed social reform from above could not substitute for direct political representation and self-advocacy.

This led Ambedkar to clash with Gandhi at the Second Round Table Conference (1930), ultimately resulting in the Poona Pact (1932).

Source: The Limits of Civil Disobedience, Chapter 2

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The examiner looks for three clear points: (1) the core argument for separate electorates (political empowerment), (2) at least one or two reasons for distrust of Congress, and (3) a factual reference (Ambedkar, Round Table Conference, or Poona Pact). Avoid writing too much about the Poona Pact outcome — focus on the reasoning behind the demand. Using words like "voluntary reform" vs "structural/political power" shows conceptual clarity.