Question

Who was the Prime Minister of Britain/UK when British Parliament passed an independence bill for India in July 1947 ?
1. Neville Chamberlain
2. Clement Attlee
3. Winston Churchill
4. Ramsay Macdonald

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Clement Attlee

The correct answer is Clement Attlee.

• Clement Attlee was the Prime Minister of Britain/UK when British Parliament passed an independence bill for India in July 1947.
  • The Indian Independence Act was passed in 1947.
    • The act created two new independent dominions; India and Pakistan.
  • Pakistan was split into Pakistan and East Pakistan which is now Bangladesh. The Bengal and Punjab provinces were partitioned between the two new countries.
  • Lord Mountbatten was the last viceroy of British India and the first Governor-General of independent India.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first Prime Minister and Muhammad Ali Jinnah became Pakistan's first Governor-General and Liaquat Ali Khan its Prime Minster. 

• Winston Churchill was the British PM who appointed the cripps mission in march 1942 to resolve the Indian political crisis in order to get the support of India for their efforts in World War II.
  • Cripps Mission:
    • In order to get the support of India in world war II, Cripps Mission was sent to India in 1942.
    • Few proposals of this mission are:
    • Dominion status to India after the war.
    • Constitution-making body after the war.
    • Constitution so framed would be acceptable by the British Government only if certain province desires to stay away from the Union of India.
    • Any province which wouldn't accept the new constitution would have the right to sign a separate agreement with British
    • Gandhi called Cripps Mission as 'A post-dated cheque drawn on a failing bank' due to the Cripps offer of Dominion Status after the war.
• The communal award was announced by Ramsay Macdonald, the British PM.
  • Important features of this award are:
    • The separate electorate for the Muslims, Sikhs, Anglo Indians, Indian Christians, as well as the depressed classes.
    • 3 percent of seats were reserved for women.
    • 71 seats in total were reserved for the depressed classes in the provincial legislature.
    • Gandhi rejected it and then started fast unto death in Yervada Jail against this award.