<P> On 14 August 1947, the new Dominion of Pakistan came into being, with Muhammad Ali Jinnah sworn in as its first Governor General in Karachi . The following day, 15 August 1947, India, now a smaller Union of India, became an independent country with official ceremonies taking place in New Delhi, and with Jawaharlal Nehru assuming the office of prime minister, and the viceroy, Louis Mountbatten, staying on as its first Governor General; Gandhi, however, remained in Bengal, preferring instead to work with the new refugees from the partitioned subcontinent . </P> <P> The actual division of British India between the two new dominions was accomplished according to what has come to be known as the 3 June Plan or Mountbatten Plan . It was announced at a press conference by Mountbatten on 3 June 1947, when the date of independence--15 August 1947--was also announced . The plan's main points were: </P> <Ul> <Li> Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims in Punjab and Bengal legislative assemblies would meet and vote for partition . If a simple majority of either group wanted partition, then these provinces would be divided . </Li> <Li> Sind and Baluchistan were to make their own decision . </Li> <Li> The fate of North West Frontier Province and Sylhet district of Assam was to be decided by a referendum . </Li> <Li> India would be independent by 15 August 1947 . </Li> <Li> The separate independence of Bengal was ruled out . </Li> <Li> A boundary commission to be set up in case of partition . </Li> </Ul> <Li> Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims in Punjab and Bengal legislative assemblies would meet and vote for partition . If a simple majority of either group wanted partition, then these provinces would be divided . </Li>

The partition of india was designed mainly to separate