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Question 114 of 137 · Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence
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The plan for the partition of India, announced on 3 June 1947, is known as the:

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Answer: Option B — Mountbatten Plan

Detailed Solution

The plan for the partition of British India, announced by the Viceroy Lord Mountbatten on 3 June 1947, is known as the Mountbatten Plan or the 3 June Plan.

Background:

  • Lord Mountbatten became Viceroy in March 1947, succeeding Lord Wavell.
  • The British government under Prime Minister Clement Attlee had announced in February 1947 that the British would leave India by June 1948.
  • Communal violence and the deadlock between the Congress and the Muslim League made partition seem unavoidable.

Main features of the Mountbatten Plan:

  • British India would be divided into two dominions, India and Pakistan.
  • The legislative assemblies of Punjab and Bengal would vote on whether to partition their provinces.
  • Sindh's assembly would decide whether to join India or Pakistan.
  • A referendum would be held in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and in Sylhet district of Assam.
  • A boundary commission would demarcate the boundaries in Punjab and Bengal.
  • The princely states would be free to join either India or Pakistan, or to remain independent.
  • Power would be transferred on 15 August 1947, earlier than the original date.

Acceptance:

  • The Congress and the Muslim League accepted the plan.
  • Mahatma Gandhi was deeply unhappy with partition but did not oppose the Congress decision publicly.

Indian Independence Act, 1947:

  • The British Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act in July 1947, based on this plan.
  • India and Pakistan became independent dominions on 15 and 14 August 1947, respectively.

Radcliffe Line:

  • Sir Cyril Radcliffe headed the boundary commissions that drew the borders in Punjab and Bengal.
  • The Radcliffe Award was announced on 17 August 1947.

Aftermath:

Partition led to one of the largest migrations in history and widespread communal violence.

Earlier plans:

Cripps Mission (1942), Wavell Plan (1945, Shimla Conference) and Cabinet Mission Plan (1946) had tried to find other solutions.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Cripps, Wavell and Cabinet Mission plans came earlier and did not provide for partition in this form.

Quick tip

Remember: 3 June 1947 = Mountbatten Plan for partition; implemented by the Indian Independence Act, 1947.

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Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the freedom struggle from Gandhi's return to India in 1915 to independence in 1947: the Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad movements, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements, the Round Table Conferences, the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission and the partition of India. Most questions ask about the year, cause or result of a movement, or the event that ended it. For example, the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Dandi March (1930) started the Civil Disobedience Movement. Learning these events on a timeline is the best way to avoid confusion. Practise the Gandhian era questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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