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India Cluster45 Verified Questions
Cabinet Mission Plan 1946 & Formation of Interim Government GK Questions & Answers
The British government dispatched the three-member Cabinet Mission to India in March 1946 to negotiate constitutional arrangements for Indian self-determination and national independence. Headed by Secretary of State for India Lord Pethick-Lawrence, the delegation included Sir Stafford Cripps (President of the Board of Trade) and A.V. Alexander (First Lord of the Admiralty). Rejecting the All-India Muslim League demand for a sovereign Pakistan, the Mission's May 16, 1946 declaration proposed an undivided Indian Union exercising authority exclusively over defence, foreign affairs, and communications. The plan devised a three-tier constitutional structure with compulsory grouping of British Indian provinces: Group A comprising Hindu-majority provinces, Group B comprising northwestern Muslim-majority provinces, and Group C comprising Bengal and Assam. It established a 389-member Constituent Assembly elected through indirect single transferable votes by provincial legislative assemblies. Furthermore, the plan provided for an Interim Government composed of major Indian political representatives. Viceroy Lord Wavell swore in the Interim Government on September 2, 1946, with Jawaharlal Nehru serving as Vice-President of the Executive Council. The Muslim League boycotted initial proceedings, orchestrated Direct Action Day on August 16, 1946, and later entered the Executive Council in October 1946 with Liaquat Ali Khan holding the Finance portfolio, creating administrative gridlock.
High-yield conceptual summaries for competitive exams and rapid revision.
The British government announced the dispatch of the Cabinet Mission to India on February 19, 1946, to devise a framework for independence.
The Cabinet Mission comprised three British Cabinet ministers: Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and First Lord of Admiralty A.V. Alexander.
The Mission formally published its constitutional recommendations on May 16, 1946, after negotiations at the Shimla Conference failed to yield agreement.
The Plan rejected the Muslim League's demand for a completely separate sovereign state of Pakistan, advocating a unified Indian Union instead.
The proposed Union government held jurisdictional authority over three subjects: defence, foreign affairs, and communications, plus taxation powers.
All residual legislative subjects and unassigned powers were vested in the individual provinces and acceding princely states.
The Plan categorized British Indian provinces into three distinct groups: Group A (Hindu-majority), Group B (northwest Muslim), and Group C (Bengal and Assam).
Provincial grouping was designed as mandatory during the initial constitution-framing process, with provinces granted an option to opt out after general elections.
The Constituent Assembly was allotted 389 seats, comprising 292 from British provinces, 93 from princely states, and 4 from Chief Commissioners' provinces.
Members of the Constituent Assembly were indirectly elected by the lower houses of provincial legislative assemblies via proportional representation.
The Muslim League withdrew its acceptance of the Plan on July 29, 1946, after Jawaharlal Nehru asserted that the Constituent Assembly remained sovereign.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League launched Direct Action Day on August 16, 1946, inciting widespread communal violence known as the Great Calcutta Killings.
The Interim Government assumed office on September 2, 1946, with Jawaharlal Nehru serving as the Vice-President of the Viceroy's Executive Council.
The Muslim League joined the Interim Government on October 26, 1946, with Liaquat Ali Khan securing the strategic portfolio of Finance.
The first official session of the Constituent Assembly convened on December 9, 1946, in New Delhi, boycotted by all 73 elected Muslim League representatives.
The three-member Cabinet Mission sent to India in March 1946 included Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and which British official?
Verified Explanation
The British Cabinet Mission of 1946 was composed of three cabinet ministers: Lord Pethick-Lawrence (Secretary of State), Sir Stafford Cripps (President of the Board of Trade), and A.V. Alexander (First Lord of the Admiralty).
2ID: GK-HIST-01037
hardIndian Freedom Struggle & National Movement
Under the three-tier grouping formula proposed by the British Cabinet Mission in May 1946, which provinces were placed in 'Section B'?
Verified Explanation
The Cabinet Mission Plan of 16 May 1946 grouped the British Indian provinces into three sections: Section A (Hindu-majority provinces: Madras, Bombay, UP, CP, Bihar, Orissa), Section B (Muslim-majority northwestern provinces: Punjab, NWFP, Sind), and Section C (Muslim-majority northeastern provinces: Bengal and Assam). Disagreements over the compulsory nature of grouping led to the plan's collapse.
3ID: GK-HIST-00124
mediumFreedom Struggle
Which British Cabinet Mission arrived in India in March 1946 to negotiate the transfer of power and constitutional framework?
Verified Explanation
The Cabinet Mission composed of three British Cabinet ministers proposed an undivided Indian federation and a Constituent Assembly.
4ID: GK-HIST-00837
hardIndian Freedom Struggle & National Movement
What constitutional arrangement did the Cabinet Mission Plan of May 1946 recommend regarding the grouping of provinces in British India?
Verified Explanation
The Cabinet Mission (Pethick-Lawrence, Stafford Cripps, A. V. Alexander) rejected sovereign Pakistan and proposed a three-tiered union. Provinces were divided into three groups: Section A (Madras, Bombay, UP, Bihar, CP, Orissa), Section B (Punjab, NWFP, Sindh), and Section C (Bengal and Assam). Groups were empowered to frame provincial constitutions and decide whether to establish intermediate regional executives.
5ID: GK-HIST-00047
hardBritish Rule & Colonial Era
Who among the following was NOT a member of the British Cabinet Mission that visited India in 1946?
Verified Explanation
The Cabinet Mission comprised Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A. V. Alexander.
What total financial outlay was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for the multi-year implementation of India's Deep Ocean Mission?
Verified Explanation
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Deep Ocean Mission in June 2021 with a total estimated budget of Rs 4,077 crore over a five-year period to support deep-sea mining, human submersibles, marine biotechnology, and ocean climate services.
7ID: GK-OCEN-00011
easyDeep Ocean Mission & Submersibles
Under the multi-disciplinary Deep Ocean Mission approved by the Union Cabinet, which Union Ministry serves as the nodal implementing ministry?
Verified Explanation
The Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) is an ambitious central initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, approved with a budget of Rs 4,077 crore to explore deep-ocean resources and develop deep-sea technologies.
8ID: GK-OCEN-00131
easyDeep Ocean Mission & Submersibles
Which central ministry of the Government of India is the nodal ministry implementing the ₹4,077-crore multi-institutional 'Deep Ocean Mission' (DOM)?
Verified Explanation
The Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in 2021 with an estimated budget of ₹4,077 crore over a 5-year period. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) serves as the nodal ministry, collaborating with institutes like NIOT, INCOIS, and NCPOR.
Under the multi-disciplinary Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) approved by the Union Cabinet to explore deep-sea resources and develop marine technologies, which Union Ministry serves as the nodal executing agency?
Verified Explanation
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is the nodal ministry implementing the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) with a total outlay of ₹4,077 crore. DOM focuses on deep-sea mining, human submersibles (Samudrayaan), ocean climate advisory services, underwater robotics, deep-sea biodiversity conservation, and ocean thermal desalination.
10ID: GK-OCEN-00266
easyDeep Ocean Mission & Submersibles
Which Union Ministry is the nodal administrative body responsible for executing the multi-crore Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) in India?
Verified Explanation
The Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) is a central sector flagship mission conceived and implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) with a total financial outlay of Rs 4,077 crore over five years to explore deep-sea mineral resources, marine biodiversity, and develop ocean technologies.