Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
How many representatives were allocated to the provinces of British India, excluding Chief Commissioners' Provinces?
A. 292
B. 296
C. 389
D. 93
Correct Answer: A
The provincial allocations totaled 292; four additional representatives came from Chief Commissioners' Provinces.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Provincial representatives to the Constituent Assembly were to be elected through:
A. First-past-the-post voting by all adults
B. Proportional representation by the single transferable vote
C. Nomination by governors
D. Open public referendum
Correct Answer: B
Each communal section of a provincial assembly elected its representatives by proportional representation using the single transferable vote.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
In the Cabinet Mission scheme, the 'General' category included:
A. Only caste Hindus
B. All persons who were neither Muslims nor Sikhs
C. Only Christians and Parsis
D. Only members of Congress
Correct Answer: B
The Plan defined General broadly as everyone not classified as Muslim or Sikh.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Which three communities were recognized for provincial representation?
A. Hindu, Muslim and Christian
B. General, Muslim and Sikh
C. General, European and Anglo-Indian
D. Muslim, Sikh and Scheduled Caste
Correct Answer: B
For this electoral purpose, the Plan recognized General, Muslim and Sikh communities.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
The approximate representation formula for provincial seats in the Constituent Assembly was:
A. One seat per 100,000 people
B. One seat per 500,000 people
C. One seat per one million people
D. Ten seats per province
Correct Answer: C
Seats were allocated roughly in the ratio of one representative per million population.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
The Constituent Assembly was to be elected primarily by:
A. Universal adult franchise
B. Provincial Legislative Assemblies
C. The British House of Commons
D. District judges
Correct Answer: B
Because a new adult-franchise election would cause delay, recently elected provincial legislatures were used as electoral colleges.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
The constitutions of the Union and groups could be reconsidered after an initial period of:
A. Five years
B. Ten years
C. Fifteen years
D. Twenty years
Correct Answer: B
A provincial legislature could call for reconsideration after ten years and at ten-year intervals thereafter.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Under the Mission's interpretation, a province placed in a group could leave it:
A. Before the Constituent Assembly first met
B. Immediately by a governor's order
C. After the new constitution came into operation and the first general election was held
D. Only after British approval
Correct Answer: C
The opt-out right was exercisable by the new provincial legislature after the first election under the new constitution.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Congress's principal objection to the grouping arrangement was that it:
A. Gave the Union too many military powers
B. Could compel provinces such as Assam and NWFP to enter religiously defined groups
C. Excluded all princely states
D. Ended the Constituent Assembly
Correct Answer: B
Congress argued that compulsory initial grouping undermined provincial choice and autonomy.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
The grouping scheme was especially attractive to the Muslim League because:
A. It created two large Muslim-majority provincial blocs
B. It immediately abolished all provinces
C. It made Congress illegal
D. It established a sovereign Pakistan at once
Correct Answer: A
Sections B and C could operate as powerful Muslim-majority groups within a weak Union.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Which pairing correctly identifies Section C?
A. Punjab and Sindh
B. Bengal and Assam
C. Bihar and Orissa
D. Madras and Bombay
Correct Answer: B
Section C consisted of Bengal and Assam.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Which province was NOT included in Section B?
A. Punjab
B. Sindh
C. NWFP
D. British Baluchistan as a full province of the section
Correct Answer: D
Section B's provinces were Punjab, NWFP and Sindh; British Baluchistan had one Chief Commissioner's Province representative added separately.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Which province was NOT included in Section A?
A. Bihar
B. Orissa
C. Sindh
D. Bombay
Correct Answer: C
Sindh was placed in Section B, not Section A.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Which section included Bengal and Assam?
A. Section A
B. Section B
C. Section C
D. Section D
Correct Answer: C
Bengal and Assam constituted Section C.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Which section included Punjab, North-West Frontier Province and Sindh?
A. Section A
B. Section B
C. Section C
D. Section D
Correct Answer: B
The north-western Muslim-majority provinces were placed in Section B.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Which section included Madras, Bombay, United Provinces, Bihar, Central Provinces and Orissa?
A. Section A
B. Section B
C. Section C
D. Section D
Correct Answer: A
These Hindu-majority provinces formed Section A.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
Under the Plan, provinces were allowed to form:
A. Military alliances
B. Groups with their own executives and legislatures
C. Independent diplomatic missions
D. Separate monarchies
Correct Answer: B
Provincial groups could establish common executives and legislatures and manage agreed provincial subjects.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
The constitutional structure proposed by the Cabinet Mission is best described as:
A. A highly centralized unitary system
B. A three-tier, loose federal arrangement
C. A confederation of independent sovereign states with no centre
D. A presidential dictatorship
Correct Answer: B
Power was distributed among the Union, groups of provinces and individual provinces.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
On a major communal issue, a decision in the Union legislature required:
A. A simple overall majority only
B. Unanimity of all provinces
C. An overall majority plus a majority of each major community present and voting
D. Approval of the British Cabinet
Correct Answer: C
The Plan provided a double-majority safeguard for major communal questions.
Pakistan Affairs (P.A)
1946 - Constitutional Proposals - Cabinet Mission Plan
The proposed Union was to have:
A. Only an executive
B. Only a legislature
C. An executive and a legislature
D. A military council only
Correct Answer: C
The Union would possess both an executive and a legislature drawn from British Indian and State representatives.