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Question 8 of 12 · Making & Sources of the Constitution
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In 1946, Lord Wavell invited which leader to form the Interim Government of India?

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Answer: Option C — Jawaharlal Nehru

Detailed Solution

In August 1946, the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, invited Jawaharlal Nehru, as the President of the Congress, to form the Interim Government of India.

Background:

  • In 1946, the British proposed a plan for the transfer of power, which included an interim government made up of Indian leaders.
  • The Congress and the Muslim League disagreed over the composition of the interim government.
  • The Muslim League withdrew its earlier acceptance of the British plan and called for "Direct Action Day" on 16 August 1946, which led to terrible communal riots in Calcutta.
  • Despite this, Wavell invited Nehru to form the government.

The Interim Government:

  • It was sworn in on 2 September 1946.
  • Nehru was its head, as the Vice-President of the Viceroy's Executive Council (the Viceroy remained the President); he also held the portfolios of External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations.
  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was in charge of Home, Information and Broadcasting.
  • Dr Rajendra Prasad was in charge of Food and Agriculture.
  • Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was in charge of Education.
  • Rajagopalachari, Jagjivan Ram, Asaf Ali, John Matthai, Baldev Singh, C. H. Bhabha and Sarat Chandra Bose were other members.

The Muslim League joined later:

  • The Muslim League joined the Interim Government in October 1946, but did not join the Constituent Assembly.
  • Liaquat Ali Khan became the Finance Member; his budget, which taxed businessmen heavily, created difficulties for the Congress.
  • The two groups did not work together well, which convinced many leaders that partition was unavoidable.
  • The Interim Government continued until 15 August 1947.

About Lord Wavell:

He was Viceroy from 1943 to 1947; he had been a military commander in the Second World War.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Patel, Jinnah and Azad did not head the Interim Government.

Quick tip

Remember: Interim Government = sworn in 2 September 1946, headed by Jawaharlal Nehru (Vice-President of the Executive Council), invited by Lord Wavell; Muslim League joined in October 1946 (Liaquat Ali Khan, Finance).

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Making & Sources of the Constitution — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Making & Sources of the Constitution, 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 how the Indian Constitution was made: the Constituent Assembly, its committees and members, the drafting process and key dates, and the features India borrowed from other constitutions, such as the parliamentary system from Britain and Fundamental Rights from the USA. Exams frequently ask who chaired the Drafting Committee (B. R. Ambedkar), who was President of the Constituent Assembly (Rajendra Prasad), and when the Constitution was adopted (26 November 1949) and came into force (26 January 1950). Questions on borrowed features are very common, so learn a table of features and their source countries. Practise the making of the Constitution 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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