SRCs and Linguistic

Reorganization of
States

HISTORY

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SRCs and Linguistic Reorganization of States

The Constituent Assembly held its final session on 24th January 1950. It was on the date January 26, 1950,
when the constituent assembly adopted the constitution of India. The constitution of India adopted the
federal system of government. Let’s see the evolution of states and union territories.

Contents
 The Situation of Indian polity after independence.

 Evolution of States and Union Territories

 Integration of Princely states

 Organization of states

 Commissions and Recommendations

 Dhar Commission

 JVP Commission

 Fazl-Ali Commission

 Recommendations

 States Reorganisation Act, 1956

 Implementation

 New States and Union Territories after 1956.

 Sequential Creation of States and UTs

 Practice Mains Questions

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The Situation of Indian polity after independence

 When the constituent Assembly was established on December 31, 1947, the Indian polity was
fragmented as follows:

 Princely States

 British Provinces

British Provinces Name

1. Madras

2. Bombay

3. West Bengal

4. United Provinces

5. East Punjab

6. Bihar

7. Central Provinces and Berar

8. Assam

9. Orissa

10. Delhi

11. Ajmer-Mewara

12. Coorg

Princely States Name

1. Alwar

2. Baroda

3. Bhopal

4. Bikaner

5. Cochin

6. Gwalior

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7. Indore

8. Jaipur

9. Jodhpur

10. Kolhapur

11. Kotah

12. Mayurbhanj

13 Mysore

14 Patiala

15 Rewa

16 Travancore

17 Udaipur

18 Sikkim and Cooch Behar Group

19 Tripura, Manipur and Khasi States

20 U.P. States Group

21 Eastern Rajputana States Group

22 Central Indian States Group

23 Western India States Group

24 Gujarat States Group

25 Deccan and Madras Group

26 Punjab States Group

27 Eastern States Group-I

28 Eastern States Group-II

29 Residuary States Group

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Source: www.mapsofindia.com

Fig-1 : States and UTs in 1947

Evolution of States and Union Territories

Integration of States
 The Indian Independence Act 1947 created two independent and separate dominions of India and
Pakistan and gave 3 options to the princely states viz., joining India, joining Pakistan, or remaining
independent.

 Out of more than 550 princely states situated within the geographical boundaries of India, most of the
states joined India, and the remaining 3 namely Hyderabad, Junagarh, and Kashmir refused to join
India.

 However, in the course of time, they were also integrated with India in the following ways:

 Hyderabad was annexed by the means of police action.

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 Junagadh(Junagarh) by the means of Plebiscite.

 Kashmir by the Instrument of Accession.

Organization of States
 In 1950 the constitution contained a 4 fold classification of the states of the Indian Union as Part A, Part B,
Part C, and Part D states.

Features:
Part A:

 States comprised 9 erstwhile Governor’s provinces of British India.

Part B:

 States consisted of 9 erstwhile Princely states with legislatures.

Part C:

 States consisted of erstwhile Chief Commissioner’s provinces of British India and some erstwhile
princely states.

 These were mostly administered by the central government.

Part D:

 Territories like Andaman and Nicobar Islands were kept in this group.

Part A Part B Part C Part D

Andaman and Nicobar

 Assam Hyderabad Ajmer
Island

 Bihar Jammu and Kashmir Bhopal

 Bombay Madhya Bharat Bilaspur

 Madhya Pradesh Mysore Cooch-Bihar

 Madras Patiala and East Punjab Coorg

 Odisha Rajasthan Delhi

 Punjab Saurashtra Himachal Pradesh

 United Provinces Travancore-Cochin Kutch

 West Bengal Vindhya Bharat Manipur

Tripura
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Commissions and Recommendations

The integration of princely states with the rest of India had been purely an ad hoc arrangement. There has
been a demand from different regions particularly South India for a reorganization of States on a linguistic
basis.

Dhar Commission
 Accordingly in June 1948, the Government of India appointed the Linguistic Provinces Commission under
the chairmanship of S.K. Dhar to examine the feasibility of the linguistic basis division of the states.

 Recommendation:

 Administrative convenience must be the main factor for the division of states over the linguistic
factor.

 Hence, the commission did not recommend dividing the states based on linguistic criteria.

JVP Commission
 The Dhar commission's recommendation created much resentment and lead to the appointment of
another Linguistic Provinces Committee in December 1948.

 It consisted of Jawahar Lal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, and Pattabhi Sitaramayya and hence was popularly
called as JVP committee.

 In April 1949, it formally rejected language as the basis of recognition of States.

Fazl Ali Commission

 In October 1953, the Government of India was forced to create the first linguistic state known as Andhra
state by separating the Telugu-speaking areas from the Madras State.

 This followed a popular agitation and death of Potti Sriramulu Congress person of standing after 56-day
hunger strike for the cause.

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 This intensified the demand from the other regions for the creation of States on a linguistic basis.

 In December 1953, the three-member States Reorganisation Commission under the chairmanship of
Fazl Ali was appointed by the government of India to re-examine the full question.

 The other 2 members were: K.M.Panikkar and H.N.Kunzru.

Recommendations:
 The language was accepted as the criteria for the reorganization of states but rejected the theory of one
language - one state.

 Its view was that the unity of India should be regarded as the primary consideration in any redrawing of
the country's political units.

 It identified four major factors that can be taken into account in any scheme of reorganization of States:

 Preservation and strengthening of unity and security of the country.

 Linguistic and cultural homogeneity.

 Financial, economic and administrative considerations.

 Planning and promotion of the Welfare of the people in each state as well as of the nation as a
whole.

 It suggested the abolition of the four-fold classification of States under the original constitution.

 The creation of 16 states and 3 centrally administrative territories was recommended.

States Reorganisation Act, 1956

Implementation
 Accordingly, the Government of India accepted the recommendations with certain minor modifications.

 The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 was enacted and the Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act 1956
was made.

 By abolishing the fold classification, the government merged and created a total of 14 states and 6 union
territories on November 1, 1956.

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States Union Territories

Andhra Pradesh Andaman and Nicobar Island

Assam Delhi

Bihar Himachal Pradesh

Bombay Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands

Jammu and Kashmir Manipur

Kerala Tripura

Madhya Pradesh

Madras

Mysore

Orissa

Punjab

Rajasthan

Uttar Pradesh

West Bengal

Points to Remember
 Kerala = Travancore-Cochin + Malabar District of Madras State + Kasargod of South Canara.

 Andhra Pradesh: Hyderabad + Telugu spelling Andhra Region.

 Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Bharat + Vindhya Pradesh + Bhopal.

 Bombay state: Saurashtra Kutch

 Mysore State: Coorg was added.

 Punjab State: Patiala and East Punjab States Union

 Rajasthan State: Ajmer State.

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New States and Union Territories after 1956

 After 1956 the political map of India underwent a continuous change due to the pressure of popular
agitation and political conditions

Sequential Creation of States and UTs

States Details

Formed in 1960.
Maharashtra and Gujarat Maharashtra for Marathi Speaking people.
Gujarat for Gujarati speaking people.

Formed in 1961.
Dadra Nagar Haveli Converted to UT by 10th Constitutional
Amendment Act,1961

In 1961, by means of Police action, the Portuguese

Goa, Daman, and Diu were thrown out.
The 12th Constitutional Act,1961 made both UTs.

The 14th Constitutional Amendment Act,1962

Puducherry
made a French ruled territory as UT.

Formed in 1963
The state was formed by taking Naga hills and the
Nagaland
Tuensang area out of Assam.
It was the 16th state.

Formed in 1966.
The state of Punjab was bifurcated into Haryana
and Chandigarh as UT.
Shah Commission in 1966 recommended creating
Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh Punjabi speaking area of Punjab and Hindi
Speaking area of Haryana.
Additionally, hilly areas were merged with UT-
Himachal Pradesh
1971 Himachal Pradesh got status of State.

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Manipur,Tripura, Meghalaya All three states got statehood in 1972.

Till 1947, it was a princely state ruled by Chogyal.

After the lapse of British Paramountcy, Sikkim
became a protectorate of India.
Sikkim In 1974, the 35th constitutional amendment Act by
which Sikkim became an associate state of the
Indian Union.
In 1975, Sikkim became a full-fledged state.

All three states were created in 1987.

Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa
Earlier these were UTs, and got statehood in 1987.

Formed in 2000.
Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh.
Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh.
Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar.

Formed in 2014.
It became the 29th state in India.
Telangana
It was carved out of the territories of Andhra
Pradesh.

Points to Remember
Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act,2019
Jammu & Kashmir state is divided into two:

 Jammu & Kashmir as UT having a state legislature.

 Ladhak as UT completely administered by the Central Government.

 Hence, today's total: 28 states and 8 UTs are there

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Source: www.mapsofindia.com

Fig-2 : Indian Polity MAP-2020

Mains Question for Practice:

Q.1 Discuss the recommendations of the Fazl Ali commissions on the reorganization of states.
(100 words-10 Marks)

Q.2 Describe in detail the evolution and integration of Indian states to become an Indian Union.
(250 words-15 Marks)

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