Question

Who was the First Governor General of free India?

1. Lord Irwin
2. Lord Wavel
3. Lord Mountbatten
4. Lord Willingdon

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 3: Lord Mountbatten

Detailed Solution

The correct answer is Lord Mountbatten.

Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of British India and the first Governor-General of independent India, playing a key role in overseeing the transfer of power and the Partition in 1947.

Appointed as Last Viceroy: March 1947.
Oversaw the Partition of India and Pakistan under the Mountbatten Plan (3 June 1947).
Advanced the transfer of power from June 1948 to 15 August 1947.
Served as the first Governor-General of independent India (15 August 1947 – 21 June 1948).
Worked closely with Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah during independence negotiations.
Retired from India in 1948 and later served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Defence Staff in the UK.

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