Transfer Of Power & Partition (1945-1947)सत्ता हस्तांतरण एवं विभाजन (1945-1947)

Explanation: Formation Date: 2 September 1946, following Lord Wavell's invitation to Jawaharlal Nehru on 12 August 1946. Executive Structure: Viceroy was President; Jawaharlal Nehru was Vice-President, de facto Head of Government. Muslim League's Boycott & Entry: Boycotted initially; later entered on 26 October 1946 with 5 nominees to obstruct rather than cooperate. Oath of Office: Administered at the Viceroy's House (Rashtrapati Bhavan).

Explanation: Attlee's Directive (March 1947): Mountbatten replaced Lord Wavell with a mandate to explore all avenues to transfer power to a united India by June 1948. Encounter with Jinnah: Mountbatten held six extensive meetings with Jinnah in April 1947, attempting in vain to persuade him to accept a loose Cabinet Mission federation. Conclusion of Inevitability: Mountbatten concluded that Jinnah was inflexible and communal civil war was imminent, formulating the 3 June Plan for Partition.

Explanation: Muslim League Ministers (Oct 1946): Liaquat Ali Khan (Finance), I.I. Chundrigar (Commerce), Abdur Rab Nishtar (Communications), Ghazanfar Ali Khan (Health), and Jogendra Nath Mandal (Law - a Scheduled Caste leader). Liaquat's Budget (March 1947): Proposed a 25% tax on business profits exceeding ₹1 lakh, hitting Congress's merchant backers. Patel's Frustration: Sardar Patel remarked that Liaquat's obstructionism made running the administration impossible: 'If you want to appoint a peon, you have to get Liaquat's consent'.

Explanation: Nehru's Assessment: 'By cutting off the head, we got rid of the headache' — Nehru recognized that an undivided India under the Cabinet Mission with League veto would be weak, unstable, and paralyzed. Sardar Patel's Realism: Patel stated that if partition was not accepted, there would be not one Pakistan, but several Pakistans, with every government office torn by communal deadlock. CWC Resolution (8 March 1947): Congress formally demanded the partition of Punjab and Bengal into Muslim and non-Muslim parts, paving the path to Mountbatten's Plan.

Explanation: United Bengal Proposal (1947): Championed by H.S. Suhrawardy, Abul Hashim, and Sarat Chandra Bose. Core Features: Bengal would be an independent state maintaining its own army and constitution, not joining either Pakistan or India. Jinnah's Reaction: Surprisingly, Jinnah initially approved it ('What is the use of Bengal without Calcutta?'), hoping to deny Calcutta to India. Why it Failed: Congress High Command (Nehru and Patel) and Bengali Hindu public opinion refused to trust Suhrawardy after the horrors of the August 1946 Calcutta riots.

Explanation: Plan Balkan / Dickie Bird Plan: Drafted by Mountbatten's staff (Hastings Ismay); approved by the British Cabinet in London in May 1947. Devolution to Provinces: Provinces and princely states would become sovereign units with the right to self-determine their destiny. Nehru's Eruption at Simla (10 May 1947): Staying as Mountbatten's guest at Viceregal Lodge Simla, Nehru called it an invitation to chaos, balkanization, and catastrophe. V.P. Menon's Rescue Plan: Menon proposed immediate transfer of power to two central successor dominions (India and Pakistan) under the Government of India Act 1935, which became the 3 June Plan.

Explanation: Gandhi's Plan (1–2 April 1947): Urged Mountbatten to give Jinnah the option of forming the central government of undivided India. Safeguard: Viceroy would act as sole arbiter of whether the government acted fairly toward all communities. Rejection by Congress Working Committee: Nehru and Patel told Gandhi that Jinnah was unappeasable and the proposal would paralyze the country further. Gandhi's Withdrawal: Gandhi graciously accepted the working committee's judgment and withdrew his proposal on 11 April 1947.

Explanation: Structure of 1946 Interim Cabinet: 14 members when fully constituted.
• Vice-President: Jawaharlal Nehru
• Home, Information & Broadcasting: Sardar Patel
• Food & Agriculture: Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• Defence: Sardar Baldev Singh
• Finance: Liaquat Ali Khan
• Education & Arts: C. Rajagopalachari
• Labour: Jagjivan Ram. Status: Functioned until 15 August 1947 when independent India's first cabinet was formed under Prime Minister Nehru.

Explanation: RIN Mutiny Spark (18 Feb 1946): B.C. Dutt wrote 'Quit India' on HMIS Talwar; ratings went on hunger strike against racial insults. Naval Central Strike Committee: Chaired by M.S. Khan (President) and Madan Singh (Vice-President). National Flags Hoisted: Tricolour, Muslim League Crescent, and Red Flag tied together on ship masts. Surrender (23 Feb 1946): Sardar Patel and M.A. Jinnah persuaded the ratings to surrender on the assurance of no victimization (an assurance violated by the British).

Explanation: Dr. Rajendra Prasad: Held Food and Agriculture in the Interim Government (1946–1947). President of Constituent Assembly: Elected unanimously on 11 December 1946 (succeeding temporary chairman Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha). First President of India: Elected by the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950, taking oath on 26 January 1950.

Explanation: Chairman: Sir Cyril Radcliffe (chaired both Punjab and Bengal Boundary Commissions). Composition: Each Commission consisted of 4 judges nominated by Congress and Muslim League, with Radcliffe holding the casting vote. Award Published: Award completed on 12 August 1947, but intentionally withheld by Mountbatten until 17 August 1947 to avoid marring Independence Day celebrations with partition carnage. Key Controversies: Gurdaspur and Ferozepur districts (Punjab), Chittagong Hill Tracts and Murshidabad/Khulna (Bengal).