Question

Identify the ‘mission’ of the colonial period with the help of the following information:

• It presented a scheme for the formation of an interim government at the centre for India.
• It announced its Constitutiol Scheme in 1946.

• A. Cripps Mission
• B. Cabinet Mission
• C. Fraser Mission
• D. Simon Commission

Hint:

To distinguish between the 1940s colonial delegations, associate them directly with their milestone calendar years:
• 1942 $\rightarrow$ Cripps Mission (Rejected/Failed)
• 1946 $\rightarrow$ Cabinet Mission (Led to the Constituent Assembly and Interim Government)

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The question asks for the identification of a 'mission' from the colonial period, based on two key pieces of information:

• It presented a scheme for the formation of an interim government at the centre for India.
• It announced its Constitutional Scheme in 1946.

To solve this, let's analyze the provided options and their historical significance:

1. Cripps Mission: Proposed in 1942 by Sir Stafford Cripps, this mission aimed to secure Indian cooperation in World War II. It offered India Dominion status after the war, but did not involve the formation of an interim government.
2. Cabinet Mission: Sent by the British government in 1946, it aimed to discuss and plan for the transfer of power to Indian leadership and propose the formation of a constituent assembly. It outlined a scheme for the formation of an interim government and provided a detailed plan for the Constituent Assembly to draft a constitution.
3. Fraser Mission: No significant historical record or impact regarding India's constitutional development and governance pertains to a "Fraser Mission."
4. Simon Commission: A group of British MPs sent to India in 1928 to study constitutional reforms. It faced major protests in India due to the absence of any Indian members, and its focus was not on forming an interim government or announcing a Constitutional Scheme in 1946.

Conclusion: Based on the discussion above, the correct answer is the Cabinet Mission. This mission precisely fits both criteria mentioned, as it presented a plan for an interim government and announced a constitutional framework in 1946.