Question map
The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to
Explanation
The British government appointed the Boundary Commission under the chairmanship of Sir Cyril Radcliffe to delimit the boundaries between India and Pakistan.[1] Radcliffe was given charge of presiding over two Boundary Commissions: one for the Punjab and the other for Bengal.[2] Radcliffe, with very limited knowledge of India, and with the use of out-of-date maps and census materials, was required to draw the boundaries and decide disputed points within a period of six weeks. Although the religious demography was the deciding factor, other factors, such as rivers as natural boundaries, administrative units, economic viability, railway and roadway connectivity and other infrastructural facilities, such as the canal system, were also to be taken into consideration.[3] The commission's work resulted in the partition of Bengal and Punjab between the two new dominions. The Radcliffe Committee was not appointed to solve minority problems, implement the Independence Act, or enquire into riots—its sole purpose was boundary delimitation.
Sources- [2] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > 8.1 Consequences of Partition > p. 101
- [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 33: Challenges Before the New-born Nation > Challenges before the Boundary Commission > p. 593
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Sitter' found in every standard Modern History text (Spectrum, NCERT). It tests the fundamental administrative mechanism of Partition. The strategy is simple: memorize the 'Terms of Reference' for every major colonial committee (Hunter, Butler, Hartog, Radcliffe).
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Was the Radcliffe Committee (Boundary Commission) appointed to solve the problem of minorities in India?
- Statement 2: Was the Radcliffe Committee appointed to give effect to the Independence Bill (Indian Independence Act 1947)?
- Statement 3: Was the Radcliffe Committee appointed to delimit the boundaries between India and Pakistan (i.e., to draw the Radcliffe Line)?
- Statement 4: Was the Radcliffe Committee appointed to enquire into the riots in East Bengal?
- Explicitly states the Boundary Commission under Sir Cyril Radcliffe was appointed to delimit boundaries between India and Pakistan.
- This directly contradicts the claim that it was appointed to solve minority problems.
- Describes the Bengal Boundary Commission being constituted to determine the division (boundaries) of the Province of Bengal.
- Shows the commission's mandate was boundary determination, not addressing minority issues.
States the Boundary Commission's task was to draw boundaries with 'religious demography' as the deciding factor, alongside administrative and geographic considerations.
A student could infer the commission's role was territorial partitioning (using religion as a criterion) rather than creating institutions or protections for minorities, and check whether minority-protection mandates were included in its brief.
Describes the demographic outcome of the Radcliffe Award, noting substantial minority populations remained on both sides after partition.
A student could use these population figures plus the commission's remit to assess whether boundary-drawing aimed to eliminate minority problems or simply divide territory, then compare to any explicit minority-protection measures.
Notes Radcliffe was sent to re-draw the map and presided over two Boundary Commissions for Punjab and Bengal, emphasizing a cartographic/territorial mandate.
A student can contrast a cartographic/territorial mandate with bodies explicitly formed to address minority welfare to judge intent behind the appointment.
Describes the Delhi (Liaquat-Nehru) Pact and later creation of minority commissions to safeguard minorities and investigate communal violence.
A student might infer that minority problems were addressed by separate political agreements and commissions post-partition, suggesting the Boundary Commission was not the primary vehicle for minority protection.
Shows that specific committees/sub-committees (e.g., Minorities Sub-Committee) in the Constituent Assembly dealt with minority safeguards and cultural rights.
A student could use this to argue that minority issues were being handled within constitutional/legislative processes rather than by a boundary-drawing commission.
- Lists introduction of the Indian Independence Bill and, in the same sequence, the appointment of two boundary commissions under Sir Cyril Radcliffe.
- Places Radcliffe's appointment alongside parliamentary steps to implement partition, implying the commissions were part of the Bill/Plan's execution.
- States the Indian Independence Act was based on the Mountbatten Plan.
- By linking the Act to the Plan, it supports the idea that measures in the Plan (including boundary commissions) were the basis for the Act's implementation.
- Explicitly records that Sir Cyril Radcliffe was sent to re-draw the map of India and presided over two Boundary Commissions for Punjab and Bengal.
- Directly identifies Radcliffe's appointment to carry out the boundary-drawing central to partition implementation.
- Explicitly states the British government appointed the Boundary Commission under Sir Cyril Radcliffe to draw the boundaries.
- Specifies Radcliffe was required to draw the boundaries and decide disputed points within a limited period.
- Confirms Sir Cyril Radcliffe was sent to re-draw the map of India and preside over two Boundary Commissions (Punjab and Bengal).
- Links Radcliffe’s arrival and direct charge with boundary-drawing tasks for partition.
- Describes the Indo-Pakistan boundary as the product of the partition process under 'the Radcliffe Award' decided by Sir Cyril Radcliffe.
- Identifies Radcliffe as Chairman of the Border Commissions responsible for the award (i.e., delimitation).
- Explicitly gives the question options and states the correct answer is (c).
- Explains that Radcliffe was appointed to delimit the boundaries between India and Pakistan, not to enquire into riots.
- Shows the option 'Enquire into the riots in East Bengal' was listed as (D).
- Immediately indicates the correct answer is C, thus refuting that D was the purpose.
- Lists 'Enquire into the riots in East Bengal' as option (d) for what the Radcliffe Committee was appointed to do.
- Does not assert it as the committee's purpose; serves as the distractor option that other sources mark incorrect.
Describes the Boundary Commission under Sir Cyril Radcliffe and its task of drawing boundaries for Punjab and Bengal, indicating its primary mandate was delimitation not riot inquiry.
A student could contrast the commission's stated boundary-drawing remit with the wording of committees typically formed to investigate communal violence to see if mandates match.
States Radcliffe presided over two Boundary Commissions (Punjab and Bengal), reinforcing that his role was to demarcate borders rather than to investigate disturbances.
Use this to check contemporary records or the commission's terms of reference to confirm whether investigating riots was included.
Notes that regions where the Radcliffe line was drawn became highly violent, linking Radcliffe's boundary work temporally and geographically to communal riots in Punjab and Bengal.
A student could use this to infer that although Radcliffe's commission worked amid riots, the commission’s purpose might differ from a riot inquiry and therefore check official commission objectives.
Provides a clear example (Deccan Riots Commission) of a government-formed commission specifically to investigate causes of riots, illustrating the distinct pattern/mandate such inquiry commissions have.
Compare the described investigative procedures and remit of riot commissions with the Radcliffe commission's remit to determine whether Radcliffe’s body fits the 'riot inquiry' pattern.
Gives the Hunter Committee as another model: a committee explicitly formed to investigate disturbances and their causes, showing how riot inquiries are formally constituted and named.
Use this naming/mandate pattern (e.g., 'Disorders Inquiry Committee') to check whether any Radcliffe-appointed body was similarly titled and tasked.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Direct hit from Spectrum (Chapter: Independence with Partition) or TN Board Class XII (Chapter 8).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The 'Transfer of Power' mechanics (1947). Specifically, the administrative execution of the Mountbatten Plan.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'Committee-Mandate' pairs: Hunter (1919, Punjab Disturbances), Butler (1927, Princely States), Hartog (1929, Education), Sapru (1934, Unemployment), Fowler (1898, Currency). Also, note the Radcliffe Commission members: Justices Meher Chand Mahajan, Teja Singh, Din Muhammad, and Muhammad Munir.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: UPSC swaps mandates to create distractors. Option D (Riots) sounds plausible because 1947 was violent, but riot inquiries are usually 'Commissions of Inquiry' (like the 1919 Hunter Committee), not 'Boundary Commissions'. Always distinguish between a 'Political Mission' (Cabinet Mission) and an 'Administrative Task' (Radcliffe).
References describe Sir Cyril Radcliffe being appointed to preside over boundary commissions to redraw maps and decide disputed points under severe time and information constraints.
High-yield for UPSC: understanding the actual mandate of the Radcliffe Commission (boundary demarcation, not minority welfare) clarifies many questions about Partition administration and responsibility. Connects to topics on decolonisation, administrative decision-making, and the limits of British transition plans. Prepare by comparing commission mandates, timelines, and primary constraints from standard texts and past papers.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 33: Challenges Before the New-born Nation > Challenges before the Boundary Commission > p. 593
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > 8.1 Consequences of Partition > p. 101
Evidence notes religious demography was the deciding factor among other considerations when drawing boundaries under the Radcliffe Award.
Important for questions on causes and methods of Partition: explains why provinces were divided the way they were and why minorities remained on both sides. Links to communal politics, refugee flows, and geopolitical outcomes. Study census data usage, criteria hierarchy (rivers, admin units, connectivity) and related map exercises.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 33: Challenges Before the New-born Nation > Challenges before the Boundary Commission > p. 593
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > 8.1 Consequences of Partition > p. 102
References show that the Radcliffe Award left significant minority populations in both dominions and that later agreements (e.g., Liaquat–Nehru Pact) sought to address minority problems.
Crucial for UPSC essays and polity/history questions on minority protection and bilateral diplomacy after Partition. Links constitutional safeguards, commissions for minorities, and bilateral pacts. Study sequence: boundary award → minority populations → refugee crisis → diplomatic pacts and commissions.
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > 8.1 Consequences of Partition > p. 102
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 33: Challenges Before the New-born Nation > Delhi Pact on Minorities > p. 599
Several references state the Indian Independence Act was based on the Mountbatten Plan; understanding this link explains why actions in the Plan (like boundary commissions) were implemented under the Act.
High-yield: questions often ask about the constitutional/legal basis for partition and transfer of power. This concept connects constitutional law, political decisions, and administrative measures. Master it by mapping the sequence: Mountbatten Plan → Independence Bill/Act → implementation measures (e.g., boundary commissions).
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 25: Independence with Partition > Indian Independence Act > p. 495
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 2: THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION > p. 18
References explicitly state Radcliffe was appointed to preside over two boundary commissions to re-draw Punjab and Bengal — the operational instrument for partition.
Essential for questions on partition mechanics and administrative implementation. Links to topics on communal partition, boundary-making, and post-colonial state formation. Prepare by memorising the commissions' mandate, timeline, and the provinces involved.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > 20. Lord Mountbatten 1947-1948 > p. 823
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > 8.1 Consequences of Partition > p. 101
Evidence shows the Act was drafted and passed quickly after the 3 June 1947 Plan, with boundaries drawn immediately before/after transfer of power.
Useful for questions testing chronology, causation, and consequences of hurried transfer of power (administrative rush, anomalies in awards). Study the sequence of Plan → Bill → Royal Assent → appointed day to answer timeline-based questions and connect to outcomes like communal violence and administrative gaps.
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 2: THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION > p. 18
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > 8.1 Consequences of Partition > p. 102
These references repeatedly identify Sir Cyril Radcliffe as chairing Boundary Commissions that produced the Radcliffe Award delimiting India–Pakistan boundaries.
High-yield for questions on Partition and boundary formation; connects to political history, legal awards, and post-1947 territorial issues. Master by reviewing primary roles, timeline (July–August 1947), and the term 'Radcliffe Award/Line' to answer direct factual and source-based questions.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 33: Challenges Before the New-born Nation > Challenges before the Boundary Commission > p. 593
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 16: India–Political Aspects > The Indo-Pak Boundary > p. 35
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > 8.1 Consequences of Partition > p. 101
The 'Shadow Date': The Radcliffe Award was ready by August 12 but Mountbatten deliberately delayed its publication until August 17, 1947, to ensure the British were not blamed for the immediate violence during the independence celebrations. This delay is a potential future statement-based question.
The 'Eponymous Outcome' Hack: You know the border between India and Pakistan is called the 'Radcliffe Line'. If the line is named after him, the committee's purpose *must* be to draw that line (delimit boundaries). Options A (Minorities) and D (Riots) do not result in a 'Line' on a map.
Mains GS-2 (IR) & GS-3 (Security): The 'hasty' nature of the Radcliffe Line (drawn in 6 weeks by a man who had never visited India) is the root cause of modern border management issues, including the 'Enclaves' problem with Bangladesh (resolved by LBA 2015) and the Sir Creek dispute.