Who among the following headed the two Boundary Commissions set up to delineate the international frontiers between India and Pakistan in 1947?

The correct answer is Cyril Radcliffe.

Key PointsRadcliffe Line

• The Radcliffe line is spread through the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat to the international border in Jammu in Jammu & Kashmir, dividing India and Pakistan into two different countries.
• Radcliffe divided India into three halves: West Pakistan, East Pakistan, and India.
• It was named after the chairman of the Border Commissions, Sir Cyril Radcliffe. He was a lawyer from England who had no previous knowledge or experience with cartography.
• This border line is today the international boundary between India and Pakistan on the western side and between India and Bangladesh on the eastern side.

Additional InformationWhat were the two Boundary Commissions?

• In June 1947, Sir Cyril John Radcliffe, a British lawyer, was made the Chairman of two boundary commissions of Punjab and Bengal and given the task to draw up the new borders of India and Pakistan.
• He was given a period of five weeks to complete this task and arrived in India in July 1947.
• The boundary commissions of Punjab and Bengal also included two nominees each of the Indian National Congress and Muslim League respectively.
• The Punjab commission had Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan, Justice Teja Singh, Justice Din Mohammad, and Justice Muhammad Munir as members.
• The Bengal commission comprised Justice CC Biswas, Justice BK Mukherjee, Justice Abu Saleh Akram, and Justice SA Rehman.
• The Boundary Commissions award was made public on August 17, 1947.