It marked the final stage in the constitutional evolution of the country. Under this Act, India and Pakistan were to be two completely sovereign States on the ‘appointed day’ i.e. 15 Aug. 1947 and consequently the office of the secretary of state for India was abolished.
It provided an interim constitution to both India and Pakistan, which was to operate till the Constituent Assembly of the country concerned was able to draw up and enacts its own constitution.
The Governor-General and Provincial Governors were reduced to the positions of constitutional heads and were now to act on the advice of a Council of Ministers responsible to the legislatures.
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The special powers of these executive heads were also withdrawn. The extraordinary power of legislation through Acts, Proclamation and Ordinances can no longer exercised by them unless advised to do so by the respective Council of Ministers.
The Governor no longer had the power to suspend the Provincial constitution. The Constituent Assembly (which had already been busy with framing a new constitution for India) was now to function as the Central legislature of the country, in addition to its responsibilities of framing the constitution. In other words, it was both a legislative and a constituent body now.