Consider the following statements regarding government policies towards Dalit/backward castes in British India: A) The first attempt to replace the term scheduled castes with depressed classes were made by the Councils Act of 1891. B) The Government of India Act 1909 was the first statute to provide political representation to the depressed classes in the provincial legislature through nomination. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Correct Answer Neither A nor B The correct answer is Neither A nor B. Important Points The term Depressed Classes was first used by Britishers. The first attempt for a separate enumeration of the Depressed Classes by any of the Census Commissioners was made in 1911. Hence statement A is incorrect. The Government of India Act 1935 replaced the term ‘depressed classes’ with ‘Scheduled Castes’. Accordingly, separate lists of Scheduled Castes were notified for various provinces in 1936. The Act also defined races or tribes which appear to His Majesty-in-Council to correspond to the classes of persons formerly known as the depressed classes as His Majesty-in-Council may specify. The legal origin of Reservation Policy in India began with the Government of India Act, 1919 which came during the turbulent period of World War I. Hence statement B is incorrect. It provided the depressed classes with 13 seats in the provincial legislative council to be filled on the basis of nomination. Accordingly, Madras was to send 5 members; Bihar, Orissa, and Central Provinces 2 each; and, Assam and Bengal one each.