Q: The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to
(a)solve the problem of minorities in India
(b)give effect to the Independence Bill
(c)delimit the boundaries between India and Pakistan
(d)enquire into the riots in East Bengal
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Transfer Of Power & Partition (1945-1947) — UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions
11 questions from UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper 1 on Transfer Of Power & Partition (1945-1947) (Modern History). Spanning from 1995 to 2014. Practice with show/hide answers and detailed explanations.
11
Questions
7
Years
6
Easy
5
Moderate
Year-wise Distribution
What UPSC Asks About Transfer Of Power & Partition (1945-1947)
For UPSC Prelims, questions on the Transfer of Power and Partition usually probe the timeline from the end of World War II to Mountbatten’s plan. Candidates must master the Cabinet Mission, Interim Government, the Attlee Declaration, 3 June Plan, Indian Independence Act, boundary commissions, role of princely states, key personalities like Wavell, Nehru, Jinnah and Patel, as well as immediate consequences such as integration of states and refugee issues. UPSC often frames statements-based MCQs demanding precise dates, sequence of events, constitutional provisions and factual nuances—e.g., powers of the Governor-General after 15 August 1947. Map-based items on the Radcliffe Line or the accession of Kashmir also appear. Focus on original documents, important committees and differences among various constitutional schemes to score safely in this high-return micro-period.
Related Modern History Sub-topics
Gandhian Mass Movements (1915-1942)64Constitutional Developments & British Plans (1909-1947)50British Administration & Economic Policies37Advent Of Europeans & British Expansion35Early Nationalism & Indian National Congress (1885-1915)32Revolutionary & Communist Movements22Key Personalities & Ideologies21Social & Religious Reform Movements20
All Transfer Of Power & Partition (1945-1947) Questions
Q: Which portfolio was held by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in the Interim Government formed in the year 1946?
(a)Defence
(b)External Affairs and Commonwealth
(c)Food and Agriculture
(d)None
Q: Consider the following statements: 1. Lord Mountbatten was the Viceroy when Shimla Conference took place. 2. Indian Navy Revolt, 1946 took place when the Indian sailors in the Royal Indian Navy at Bombay and Karachi rose against the Government. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2
Q: Who headed the Interim Cabinet formed in the 1946?
(a)Rajendra Prasad
(b)Jawaharlal Nehru
(c)Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
(d)Rajagopalachari
Q: At the time of partition of India, which one of the following provinces of the British India came forward with a plan for a united and independent existence?
(a)Punjab
(b)Assam
(c)Bengal
(d)Bihar
Q: The Balkan Plan for fragmentation of India was the brain-child of
(a)W. Churchill
(b)M. A. Jinnah
(c)Lord Mountbatten
(d)V. P. Menon
Q: As an alternative to the partition of India, Gandhiji suggested to Mountbatten that he
(a)postpone granting of independence
(b)invite Jinnah to form the government
(c)invite Nehru and Jinnah to form the government together
(d)invite the army to take over for some time
Q: Lord Mountbatten came to India as Viceroy with specific instructions to
(a)balkanize the Indian sub-continent
(b)keep India united if possible
(c)accept Jinnah’s demand for Pakistan
(d)persuade the Congress to accept partition
Q: When the Indian Muslim League was inducted into the interim government in 1946, Liyaqat Ali Khan was assigned the portfolio of
(a)Foreign affairs
(b)Home
(c)Finance
(d)Defence
Q: The Indian National Congress agreed in 1947 to the partition of the country mainly because
(a)the principle of two Nation theory was then acceptable to them
(b)it was imposed by the British Government and the Congress was helpless in this regard
(c)they wanted to avoid large-scale communal riots
(d)India would have otherwise lost the opportunity to attain freedom
Q: In the interim government formed in 1946, the Vice-President of the Executive Council was
(a)Jawaharlal Nehru
(b)Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
(c)C. Rajagopalachari
(d)Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Frequently Asked Questions
Which single source covers most prelims-relevant facts for 1945-47 events?▼
Spectrum’s chapter on Transfer of Power complemented by the original text of the Indian Independence Act 1947 is usually sufficient for factual coverage.
How many questions from this period are typically asked in one Prelims paper?▼
On average one question surfaces every 2–3 years, but recent trends suggest preparing for at least one statement-based MCQ in any given attempt.