In 1947, the partition and creation of Pakistan and India were carried out by which act?

• A. Government of India Act 1935
• B. Indian Independence Act 1947
• C. Partition of British India Act 1940
• D. India Act 1946

Answer: (B)

The Indian Independence Act of 1947 is the instrument that delivered independence and laid out the creation of two separate states, India and Pakistan, in 1947. Passed by the British Parliament, it explicitly authorized the dissolution of the British Raj and transferred sovereignty to the two new dominions as of August 15, 1947. It establishes the framework for partition, including how provinces and princely states would join either India or Pakistan and the transfer of powers, assets, and governance to the newly independent states. While the Radcliffe Boundary Commission determined the exact borders, the legal basis for both independence and partition is this act. The other acts mentioned were earlier constitutional reforms under colonial rule, not the measure that actualized independence and partition in 1947.