On 16 May 1946 , the British announced plan for a united India . The 1946 British Cabinet Mission to India released a plan on May 16 , calling for a united Indian state comprising considerably autonomous provinces , and called for `` groups '' of provinces formed on the basis of religion . A second plan released on June 16 , called for the separation of India along religious lines , with princely states to choose between accession to the dominion of their choice or independence .