The last opportunity to avoid the partition of India was lost with the rejection of

1. The Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 proposed a three-tiered structure for India with a weak central government. 2. Both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League initially accepted the plan, although with different interpretations. 3. Disagreements over the interpretation, particularly regarding the grouping of provinces and the power of the interim government, led to the breakdown of the consensus. 4. The rejection of the Cabinet Mission's proposals by the key parties marked the final failure to find a mutually agreeable solution to keep India united, paving the way for partition.