1946 Cabinet Mission to India

On 24 March 1946, a mission of three British Cabinet members went to British India to discuss the transfer of power from the British government to the Indian political leadership with the aim of preserving India's unity and granting its independence. Formed at the initiative of Prime Minister Clement Attlee, the mission consisted of three Cabinet ministers: Lord Pethick-Lawrence (Secretary of State for India), Sir Stafford Cripps (President of the Board of Trade), and A. V. Alexander (First Lord of the Admiralty). The Viceroy of India, Lord Wavell, participated in some of the discussions.

The Cabinet Mission Plan, formulated by the group, proposed a three-tier administrative structure for British India, with the Federal Union at the top tier, individual provinces at the bottom tier, and groups of provinces as a middle tier. Three groups were proposed, called Groups A, B, and C, respectively, for Northwest India, eastern India, and the remaining central portions of India.

The Cabinet Mission's plan failed because of the distrust between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, and the British government replaced Lord Wavell with a new viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, to find new solutions.

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