The Cripps Mission of 1942 failed because Congress was not prepared to accept the British proposals ...........

Modern Indian History 1885-1905

The Cripps Mission of 1942 failed because Congress was not prepared to accept the British proposals comprising :

no (elected) representation in the Constituent Assembly of the people of princely states

right of the Indian princely states and provinces to keep out of the Indian Union

Control of Defence in non-Indian hands

refusal to make Viceroy as constitutional head of a national government

Cripps offered India full dominion status at the end of the war, with the chance to secede from the Commonwealth and to go for total independence.
Indian Defence Ministry to be reserved for the British.
Cripps failed to present any concrete proposals for greater self-government in the short term other than a vague commitment to increase the number of Indian members of the Viceroy's Executive Council.
Cripps spent much of his time in encouraging Congress leaders and Jinnah to come to a common, public arrangement in support of the war and the government.
There was little trust between the British and Congress by that stage, and both sides felt that the other was concealing its true plans.
The Congress stopped talks with Cripps, and guided by Gandhi, its national leadership demanded immediate self-government in return for war support.
All of the promises offered were to be fulfilled after the war.
Gandhi said that Cripps' offer of Dominion Status after the war was a "post-dated cheque drawn on a failing bank".