RAS question
The Boundary Commission for Punjab was headed by:
Correct answer: (D) Sir Cyril Radcliffe (same chairman for both Punjab and Bengal).
Sir Cyril Radcliffe headed the Punjab Boundary Commission and also chaired the Bengal Boundary Commission during the Partition boundary exercise.
Explanation
Sir Cyril Radcliffe chaired the Punjab Boundary Commission; the Punjab boundary was not drawn under Mountbatten, Nehru or Jinnah as commission chair. Radcliffe chaired both the Punjab and Bengal Boundary Commissions, with four members on each commission and Radcliffe holding the casting vote as chairman. The Partition Horrors Remembrance Day PDF describes Sir C.J. Radcliffe as the man assigned to draw the partition line and notes that he was approached to head the Punjab Boundary Commission. The award became deeply contentious because Radcliffe had not earlier visited India, yet after the transfer timetable was advanced he had only three weeks to draw the line. The awards were announced on August 17, 1947, two days after independence.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Lord Mountbatten was the Viceroy linked to the transfer of power, while Sir Cyril Radcliffe chaired the Punjab Boundary Commission.
- (B) Jawaharlal Nehru was a Congress leader, not the neutral chairman entrusted with the Punjab Boundary Commission's decision-making role.
- (C) Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the Muslim League leader, whereas the chairmanship of the Punjab Boundary Commission rested with Sir Cyril Radcliffe.
Concept
The Partition of India involved formal boundary commissions behind the Radcliffe Line. The boundary commissions connect modern Indian history, transfer of power, and the immediate consequences of independence in the RAS syllabus.