26. CABINET MISSION PLAN, 1946

26. CABINET MISSION PLAN, 1946

Background: After Labour Party (Clement Attlee) came to power in Britain (1945); Britain announced its intent to grant independence to India. A three-member Cabinet Mission — Lord Pethick-Lawrence (Secretary of State for India), Sir Stafford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander — sent to India in March 1946.

Key Proposals

• Rejected the demand for a separate/full Pakistan — instead proposed a three-tier federal structure:
  1. Union of India (dealing with Defence, Foreign Affairs, Communications) at the Centre
  2. Provinces grouped into three Sections/Groups — Section A (Hindu-majority provinces: Madras, Bombay, UP, Bihar, CP, Orissa), Section B (Muslim-majority NW provinces: Punjab, NWFP, Sind), Section C (Muslim-majority Bengal & Assam)
  3. Individual Provinces, retaining residuary powers
• Proposed formation of a Constituent Assembly to frame India's constitution — to be indirectly elected by members of Provincial Legislative Assemblies (roughly 1 seat per 10 lakh population), using a system where provinces elected representatives who then divided into sections.
• Proposed formation of an Interim Government at the Centre with the support of major political parties, pending the new constitution.
• Provided a right of any province to opt out of its group after the constitution's first general elections, and grouping decisions to be reviewed after 10 years.

Outcomes

• Congress accepted the plan but with reservations regarding the compulsory grouping of provinces into sections; rejected the idea of grouping being compulsory.
• Muslim League initially accepted, then withdrew acceptance and gave a call for "Direct Action Day" (16 August 1946) to press the demand for a separate Pakistan, leading to widespread communal violence (Great Calcutta Killings).
• Constituent Assembly of India was formed based on this plan — first met on 9 December 1946; Muslim League boycotted the Constituent Assembly.
• An Interim Government was formed on 2 September 1946, headed by Jawaharlal Nehru as Vice-President of the Viceroy's Executive Council (Viceroy remained nominal head) — Muslim League joined later (October 1946) but continued to obstruct.

Key Facts / Quick Revision Points

• Year: 1946; Members: Pethick-Lawrence, Stafford Cripps, A.V. Alexander; Viceroy: Lord Wavell
• Rejected a full separate Pakistan; proposed grouping (Sections A, B, C) instead
• Led directly to formation of the Constituent Assembly (first met 9 December 1946)
• Constituent Assembly is the direct outcome of the Cabinet Mission Plan — very frequently asked fact
• Led to Interim Government (2 September 1946), headed by Nehru
• Muslim League's Direct Action Day: 16 August 1946

The Constituent Assembly of India (formed under Cabinet Mission Plan)

• Total strength envisaged: 389 members — 296 from British Indian provinces (indirectly elected by Provincial Legislative Assemblies using proportional representation by single transferable vote) and 93 from princely states (nominated).
• After Partition, the strength was reduced to 299 (as many members went to Pakistan's separate Constituent Assembly, formed under the same Cabinet Mission scheme).
• First sitting: 9 December 1946; presided over provisionally by Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha (oldest member); Dr. Rajendra Prasad elected permanent President on 11 December 1946.
• Objectives Resolution moved by Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 December 1946, laying down the fundamental philosophy/aims of the future Constitution — later became the basis of the Preamble.
• The Muslim League boycotted the Assembly from the start and did not attend, since it wanted a separate Constituent Assembly for the proposed Pakistan (which it eventually got after Partition).
• The Assembly functioned as both a Constitution-making body and, after the Indian Independence Act 1947, as the provisional/interim Parliament (legislature) of the Dominion of India, exercising ordinary law-making powers alongside constitution-drafting.
• Completed drafting: Constitution adopted on 26 November 1949; came into force on 26 January 1950, on which date India became a sovereign democratic republic and the Constituent Assembly became the Provisional Parliament until the first general elections (1951-52).