--- title: "Radcliffe Boundary Commission of 1947 — Definition & Meaning" description: "The Radcliffe Boundary Commission of 1947 defined the India-Pakistan partition line, impacting millions and shaping modern South Asian geopolitics." url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/radcliffe-boundary-commission-1947" --- [New](https://modeldiplomat.com/) # Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026 TL;DR - The Radcliffe Boundary Commission of 1947 was the British body that demarcated the partition line dividing British India into India and Pakistan along the Punjab and Bengal frontiers. - Why was Cyril Radcliffe chosen to draw the line despite never having visited India? - Why was the Radcliffe Award published only after independence on 17 August 1947? - Why is the Gurdaspur decision so controversial? - How does the Radcliffe Commission differ from the Mountbatten Plan? [Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026 Go beyond the definition ## Research Radcliffe Boundary Commission of 1947 like a delegate Model Diplomat's AI drafts position papers, speeches, and country research with real sources — built for MUN and politics students. ## Timeline 1. 18 July 1947 The Radcliffe Boundary Commission derived its authority from the Indian Independence Act 1947, passed by the British Parliament on , and from the partition p… 2. 3 June 1947 The Radcliffe Boundary Commission derived its authority from the Indian Independence Act 1947, passed by the British Parliament on 18 July 1947, and from the… 3. 8 July 1947 He arrived in India on and was required to complete both awards before the transfer of power on 15 August — a span of roughly five weeks for a task affectin… 4. 12 August 1947 Radcliffe's awards were completed by but, on Mountbatten's decision, were not published until 17 August — two days after independence — so that the British… ## Positions at a glance ### Indian National Congress Procedurally, each provincial commission comprised Radcliffe as chairman and four High Court judges, two nominated by the Indian National Congress and two by the All-India Muslim League. In the Punjab the judges were Din Muhammad and Muhammad Munir for the League, and Mehr Chand Mahajan and Teja Singh for Congress; the Bengal commission was similarly composed. The commissions received written memoranda and heard public arguments in Lahore and Calcutta during July 1947. Because the nominated judges split predictably along communal lines, the decisive power rested entirely with Radcliffe, who held the casting vote and effectively authored the awards alone. He arrived in India on 8 July 1947 and was required to complete both awards before the transfer of power on 15 August — a span of roughly five weeks for a task affecting tens of millions of people. ### All-India Muslim League Procedurally, each provincial commission comprised Radcliffe as chairman and four High Court judges, two nominated by the Indian National Congress and two by the All-India Muslim League. In the Punjab the judges were Din Muhammad and Muhammad Munir for the League, and Mehr Chand Mahajan and Teja Singh for Congress; the Bengal commission was similarly composed. The commissions received written memoranda and heard public arguments in Lahore and Calcutta during July 1947. Because the nominated judges split predictably along communal lines, the decisive power rested entirely with Radcliffe, who held the casting vote and effectively authored the awards alone. He arrived in India on 8 July 1947 and was required to complete both awards before the transfer of power on 15 August — a span of roughly five weeks for a task affecting tens of millions of people. ## Research it like a delegate Research on modeldiplomat.com ## Ask a follow-up about Radcliffe Boundary Commission of 1947 Open a cited briefing in Model Diplomat search — timelines, positions, and sources you can use in committee or exam answers. [Start research on Radcliffe Boundary Commission of 1947](https://modeldiplomat.com/search?q=Explain%20Radcliffe%20Boundary%20Commission%20of%201947%20%E2%80%94%20key%20dates%2C%20actors%2C%20positions%2C%20and%20sources) Example In August 1947, Sir Cyril Radcliffe's award assigned the Hindu-majority Chittagong Hill Tracts to East Pakistan, citing economic linkage over demography, triggering protest from local communities. Keep learning ## Go deeper than the definition [Explore all Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams lessons](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services)[Test yourself with a quiz](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/quiz/civil-services) ## Take Radcliffe Boundary Commission of 1947 beyond the glossary Ask the AI research engine built for diplomacy — get briefings, position papers, and speeches with sources you can cite in committee.