Which of the following option with reference to the Cabinet Mission P...
Option d is correct.
- Option a is incorrect: The cabinet Mission was sent by the Attlee Government in Britain in 1946, after the conclusion of World War II.
- Option b is incorrect: The Cabinet mission preferred a united and friendly India, and was not in favour of partitioning India, especially along communal lines. This proposal of letting unwilling provinces negotiate a separate treaty on transfer of power with Britain was contained in Cripps Mission and not in cabinet mission.
- Option c is incorrect: It proposed that the provinces have full autonomy, and also had residual powers vested in them also.
- Option d is correct: The existing provinces were grouped into 3 sections - Group A, B and C, and were to have separate group constitutions as well, apart from the central constitution.
- Knowledge Base: Main provisions of Cabinet Mission Plan:
1) Rejection of the demand for a full-fledged Pakistan,
2) Grouping of existing provincial assemblies into three sections.
3) Three-tier executive and legislature at provincial, section and union levels.
4) A constituent assembly was to be elected by provincial assemblies by proportional representation (voting in three groups—General, Muslims, Sikhs). This constituent assembly would be a 389.
5) member body with provincial assemblies sending 292, chief commissioner’s provinces sending 4, and princely states sending 93 members.
6) In the constituent assembly, members from groups A, B and C were to sit separately to decide the constitution for provinces and if possible, for the groups also. Then, the whole constituent assembly (all three sections A, B and C combined) would sit together to formulate the union constitution.
7) A common centre would control defence, communication and external affairs. A federal structure was envisaged for India.
8) Communal questions in the central legislature were to be decided by a simple majority of both communities present and voting.
9) Provinces were to have full autonomy and residual powers.
10) Princely states were no longer to be under paramountcy of the British government. They would be free to enter into an arrangement with successor governments or the British government.
11) After the first general elections, a province was to be free to come out of a group and after 10 years, a province was to be free to call for a reconsideration of the group or the union constitution.
12) Meanwhile, an interim government was to be formed from the constituent assembly.