The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to:
Important Points to Remember in Chapter -1 - The Final Phase: Independence and Partition from Unique Academic Board History of India Solutions
The Final Phase: Independence and Partition
(1) After the proposal of the Cabinet Mission Plant 1946, the next step was supposed to be the evacuation of the Indian state. But, the contemporary situation, made partition an indispensable term of the same. As a result, the Indian Independence Act was passed and ratified by the British Parliament on 18th July 1947 and was executed on 15th August 1947.
(2) The act provided for partition in the following manner-
(i) The legislative assemblies of Bengal and Punjab were supposed to pass a resolution with a simple majority after which a demarcating committee was supposed to be formed by the viceroy.
(ii) Sindh and Balochistan were given the opportunity to decide which legislative assembly to choose.
(iii) A referendum was supposed to be done in Northwest Frontier Province and Sylhet.
(iv) Punjab and Bengal were demarcated by the Radcliffe.
(3) The Final Step
(i) East Bengal, West Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan opted for Pakistan.
(ii) West Bengal and East Punjab opted for India.
(iii) Sylhet opted for Pakistan.
(iv) The Northwest Frontier Province wanted to be free but had to go with Pakistan finally.
