Cabinet Mission plan

In March 1946, Lord Attlee sent a Cabinet Mission to India consisting of three Cabinet Ministers, namely Lord Pethick  Lawrence , Sir Stafford Cripps and Mr. A. V. Alexander.

The object of the Mission was to help India achieve its independence as early as possible, and to set up a Constituent Assembly.

The Cabinet Mission rejected the claim for a separate Constituent Assembly and a separate State for the Muslim.

According to Cabinet Mission Plan there was to be a Union of India, comprising both British India and the States, and having jurisdiction over the subjects of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Communication. All residuary powers were to be vested in the provinces and the States.

The union was to have an Executive and a Legislature consisting of representatives of the Provinces and the States.

Any decision involving a major communal issue in the legislature was to require a majority support of representatives of each of the two major communities present and voting as well as a majority of all the members present and voting.

The provinces could form groups with executives and legislatures, and each group could be competent to determine the provincial subjects.

The Mountbatten Plan

The plan for transfer of power to the Indians and partition of the Country was laid down in the Mountbatten Plan.

It was given a formal shape by a statement made by the British Government on 3^rd June, 1947.

The Indian independence Act, 1947 of the British parliament.

 In pursuance of this Act, the Government of India Act, 1935, was amended by the Adaptation Orders, both in India and Pakistan, for setting up an interim Constituent Assembly to draw up the future Constitution of the country.

Form the 15^th August, 1947 India ceased to be a Dependency, and the suzerainty of the British Crown over the Indian States and the treaty relations with tribal Areas lapsed from that date.

The office of the Secretary of state for India was abolished.

The governor- General and the Governors lost extraordinary powers of legislations to compete with the Legislature.

 The central Legislature of India, composed of the Legislative Assembly and the Council of States, ceased to exist on August 14, 1947.

The Constituent Assembly itself was to function also as the Central legislature with complete sovereignty.