--- title: "First Round Table Conference (1930–31) | Model Diplomat" description: "The First Round Table Conference was a 1930–31 meeting in London for constitutional reform in India, notably boycotted by the Indian National Congress." url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/first-round-table-conference" --- [New](https://modeldiplomat.com/) # Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026 TL;DR - The First Round Table Conference was a 1930–31 meeting in London convened by the British government to discuss constitutional reform in India, boycotted by the Indian National Congress. - Why did the Indian National Congress boycott the First Round Table Conference? - What was the most significant outcome of the First Round Table Conference? - How did the First Round Table Conference differ from the Second? - Who represented the Depressed Classes at the First Round Table Conference? [Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026 Go beyond the definition ## Research First Round Table Conference like a delegate Model Diplomat's AI drafts position papers, speeches, and country research with real sources — built for MUN and politics students. ## Timeline 1. 31 October 1929 Following the Commission's report and the Irwin Declaration of —in which Viceroy Lord Irwin affirmed that "Dominion Status" was the natural constitutional go… 2. 12 November 1930 The conference opened on at St James's Palace, London, and continued until 19 January 1931. 3. 19 January 1931 The conference opened on 12 November 1930 at St James's Palace, London, and continued until . 4. 5 March 1931 The First Round Table Conference must be distinguished from the Second Round Table Conference (September–December 1931), which Gandhi attended as the sole Co… 5. 16 August 1932 The communal question—separate electorates versus joint electorates with reservation—remained unresolved and would harden through the Second Conference into… 6. 24 September 1932 The communal question—separate electorates versus joint electorates with reservation—remained unresolved and would harden through the Second Conference into… ## Positions at a glance ### Indian National Congress Among the named participants, the Muslim League was represented by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Aga Khan III (who chaired the British Indian delegation), and Sir Muhammad Shafi; the Liberals by Tej Bahadur Sapru, V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, and C. Y. Chintamani; the Hindu Mahasabha and Justice Party also sent delegates, as did the Sikhs and Anglo-Indians. B. R. Ambedkar attended as a representative of the Depressed Classes, and Begum Shah Nawaz and Radhabai Subbarayan represented women. The conspicuous absence was the Indian National Congress, which had launched the Civil Disobedience Movement in March 1930 with the Dandi Salt March and whose leadership, including Mahatma Gandhi, was imprisoned. Without Congress—the principal mass organisation of Indian nationalism—the conference lacked the authority to bind the country to any settlement. ### All-India Muslim League Among the named participants, the Muslim League was represented by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Aga Khan III (who chaired the British Indian delegation), and Sir Muhammad Shafi; the Liberals by Tej Bahadur Sapru, V. S. Srinivasa Sastri, and C. Y. Chintamani; the Hindu Mahasabha and Justice Party also sent delegates, as did the Sikhs and Anglo-Indians. B. R. Ambedkar attended as a representative of the Depressed Classes, and Begum Shah Nawaz and Radhabai Subbarayan represented women. The conspicuous absence was the Indian National Congress, which had launched the Civil Disobedience Movement in March 1930 with the Dandi Salt March and whose leadership, including Mahatma Gandhi, was imprisoned. Without Congress—the principal mass organisation of Indian nationalism—the conference lacked the authority to bind the country to any settlement. ## Research it like a delegate Research on modeldiplomat.com ## Ask a follow-up about First Round Table Conference Open a cited briefing in Model Diplomat search — timelines, positions, and sources you can use in committee or exam answers. [Start research on First Round Table Conference](https://modeldiplomat.com/search?q=Explain%20First%20Round%20Table%20Conference%20%E2%80%94%20key%20dates%2C%20actors%2C%20positions%2C%20and%20sources) Example In November 1930, Aga Khan III chaired the British Indian delegation at the First Round Table Conference in London, while the Indian National Congress boycotted the talks as Gandhi remained imprisoned for the Salt Satyagraha. Keep learning ## Go deeper than the definition [Explore all Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams lessons](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services)[Test yourself with a quiz](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/quiz/civil-services) ## Take First Round Table Conference beyond the glossary Ask the AI research engine built for diplomacy — get briefings, position papers, and speeches with sources you can cite in committee.