Question

The period between 1920 to 1947 was marked with major events and reforms that finally led us to our independence. In this context, answer the following question.
Mention any four clauses of the Cabinet Mission Plan.

Answer 1

Hint: The Cabinet Mission was a mission to India sent by the Government of Clement Attlee in February 1946. The Cabinet Mission Plan was a statement that contained proposals regarding the constitutional future of India which was made by the Cabinet Mission and the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, on May 16, 1946. It was presented at a time when the Indian political parties and representatives were not coming to any consensus.

Complete answer: It was on 16 May 1946, the Cabinet Mission Plan was announced. The aim of the Cabinet Mission was to discuss the transfer of power from British to leadership in India.
The Cabinet Mission Plan was composed of clauses such as :
- Creation of an Indian Union that consisted of British provinces and the Princely States
- Grouping of the provincial assemblies by which provinces and princely states had the freedom to form groups under the Union, as well as to have a legislature and executive, with autonomy.
- Formation of the constituent assembly in order to frame a new constitution.
- Forming of an interim government at the Centre
- A provision for India to either remain within the British Commonwealth or leave.

Note: The Cabinet Mission Plan of May 1946 was a failure. Thus in June 1946, a new plan was proposed by the mission which had a proposal for dividing India into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority India later to be renamed Pakistan. A list of princely states was also prepared that could either join the union or remain independent.