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Difficulty: HardConstitutional Developments, Transfer of Power, and Partition of India

Prior to the announcement of the June 3rd Plan in 1947, Lord Mountbatten and his advisory committee formulated an initial draft proposal for the transfer of power, commonly referred to as 'Plan Balkan' (or the Dickie Bird Plan). Which of the following best describes the primary feature of this initial proposal?

  1. It proposed transferring power directly to individual provinces as independent successor units, allowing them to decide whether to join India, Pakistan, or remain separate prior to convening any constituent assembly.Answer
  2. B
    It proposed transferring power exclusively to an undivided central government under a modified version of the Government of India Act 1935, retaining British paramountcy over princely states.
  3. C
    It advocated for the compulsory enforcement of the Cabinet Mission Plan's three-tier provincial grouping scheme without granting any province the right to opt out.
  4. D
    It mandated immediate territorial partition along the Radcliffe Line followed by a joint defense council under British military command for five years.

Answer

The primary feature of Plan Balkan (Dickie Bird Plan) was the proposal to transfer power directly to individual provinces as independent successor units, giving them the option to join India, Pakistan, or stand alone.
The correct option accurately describes Plan Balkan (also known as the Dickie Bird Plan or Ismay Plan) drafted in May 1947. Under this scheme, power was to be transferred directly to individual provinces and princely states rather than a unified central government, granting them autonomy to join India, Pakistan, or remain separate. Nehru's sharp objection to this 'balkanization' led Mountbatten to abandon the scheme in favor of the June 3 Plan.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the historical context of Plan Balkan (Dickie Bird Plan)
Plan Balkan was drafted in April-May 1947 by Lord Mountbatten's committee (including General Hastings Ismay and Sir Eric Miéville) as an initial draft scheme for the demission of British authority in India.
Understanding the timeline and authorship helps isolate this specific constitutional proposal from other 1947 plans.
2
Analyze the structural proposal of Plan Balkan
The plan envisaged that power would be demitted to individual provinces (and Princely States), which would then decide individually whether to join a Constituent Assembly for India, a separate one for Pakistan, or remain fully independent.
This decentralized mechanism distinguished Plan Balkan from the subsequent June 3rd Plan.
3
Evaluate Jawaharlal Nehru's reaction and the ultimate outcome
When Mountbatten informally shared the plan with Jawaharlal Nehru in Simla in May 1947, Nehru vehemently rejected it, arguing it would lead to the total fragmentation ('balkanization') of India. Consequently, Mountbatten scrapped the proposal and formulated the June 3rd Plan.
Confirming the historical consequences validates the correct option selection.

Key Concept

Plan Balkan / Dickie Bird Plan (1947)
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Constitutional Developments, Transfer of Power, and Partition of India