UPSC Prelims 2003 Q136: Modern History – Constitutional Developments & British Plans (1909 - 1947)
- (a) that all Indian States should join the Indian Union as a condition to consider any degree of autonomy for India
- (b) the creation of an Indian Union with Dominion status very soon after the Second World War
- (c) the active participation and cooperation of the Indian people, communities and political parties in the British war effort as a condition for granting independence with full sovereign status to India after war
- (d) the framing of a constitution for the entire Indian Union, with no separate constitution for any province, and a Union Constitution to be accepted by all provinces
Answer: (b) the creation of an Indian Union with Dominion status very soon after the Second World War
Explanation
> Note for students: The offer of the Cripps Mission was Dominion status after the war with the right of provinces to stay out; choose (b).
Cripps Mission, 1942
| Option | Cripps proposals |
|---|---|
| Indian Union with Dominion status soon after the war | Yes — a Dominion with right to secede from the Commonwealth |
| All States to join the Union | No — they could stay out |
| Participation in the war as a condition for independence | Not the form of the offer |
| A constitution for the entire Union with no separate provincial constitutions | No — provinces could opt out |
An important aspect of the Cripps Mission was the creation of an Indian Union with Dominion status very soon after the Second World War, with a constituent assembly and the option for provinces to stay out.
Answer: (b) the creation of an Indian Union with Dominion status very soon after the Second World War.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. States were not compelled to join the Union.
- (b) CORRECT. The offer was Dominion status soon after the war.
- (c) Incorrect. Participation was asked in the war effort, but not as the stated condition.
- (d) Incorrect. Provinces were allowed to opt out.
Key point
Cripps Mission: March 1942; Gandhi called it a post-dated cheque on a failing bank.
Remember
The Cripps Mission offered Dominion status after the war.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the offer was full independence at once.
- Forgetting the provincial opt-out clause.
- Mixing it with the Cabinet Mission 1946.
Exam tip
Cripps 1942: Dominion status after the war; Cabinet Mission 1946: Constituent Assembly plan.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra — India's Struggle for Independence
- Nicholas Mansergh (ed.) — The Transfer of Power 1942–7, Volume I: The Cripps Mission (Her Majesty's Stationery Office)