The State Reorganization Commission, established in 1953, submitted its report in 1955, proposing the reorganization of states into 16 states and 3 union territories. Subsequently, in November 1956, the Government enacted the State Reorganization Act, which led to the division of the country into 14 states and 6 union territories. At the time of the Constitution's ratification, there were four categories of states: Parts A, B, C, and D. Parts A and B had locally elected Assemblies to assist and advise them, while the remaining two categories were governed by Chief Commissioners and Lieutenant Governors appointed by the central government.

With the exception of Kashmir, Junagarh, and Hyderabad, most princely states had joined the Union of India by August 15, 1947, particularly in the areas of defense, foreign affairs, and communication. By 1950, these princely states had been integrated politically into the Indian Union and were fully subject to federal governance through democratic processes.

The reorganization of States is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Polity subject in the Mains General Studies Paper-II syllabus and General Studies Paper-1 of the UPSC Prelims Syllabus.

In this article, we will understand the reorganization of States in India. All these dimensions are important for competitive examinations like UPSC IAS, IPS, IFS etc.

Classification of States into 4 Types

There are four main types of states: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D. Let's study each type in detail.

 Part-A States

• There were a total of nine Part-A states. These were British India’s previous governor’s provinces. These states were to be ruled by a Governor who the people and a state legislature chose.
• They were formed by combining minor states into provinces that were continuous. Gujarat and the Deccan, for example, were absorbed into Bombay. In contrast, parts of the Eastern and Chhattisgarh states were absorbed into Orissa, and the kingdoms of Kathiawar were united into a new state called Saurashtra.
• Bombay, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh (former United Province), Madhya Pradesh (former Central Province), Punjab, Orissa, Madras, Assam, and Bihar were among the nine Part-A states.

Part-B states

• There were eight Part-B states in all. The important princely nations that joined India were included in Part B States.
• Raj Pramukhs were the executive chiefs of Part B states. They would be governed in the same way as Part A states, with legislatures and Ministerial Councils.
• The Rajpramukh, mostly erstwhile princes, were appointed by India’s President.
• Mysore, Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Travancore-Cochin, Saurashtra, Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), and Madhya Bharat were among the eight Part-B states.

Part-C states

• There were ten Part-C states in all. The smaller princely states that became part of India were combined and became the Part C States, along with several of the former Chief Commissioner’s Provinces.
• A Part C state’s executive leader would be either a Chief Commissioner or a Lieutenant-Governor.
• Parliament might establish legislatures and Councils of Advisers/Ministers in such governments. Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Kutch, Ajmer, Bilaspur, Vindhya Pradesh, Bhopal, Tripura, Manipur, and Coorg were among the 10 Part-C states.

Part-D states

• The extremely impoverished Andaman and Nicobar Islands were designated as Part D states.
• The President of India will appoint a Chief Commissioner to oversee the Part D state of Andaman and Nicobar.

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The States Reorganization Act of 1956

Historical events and circumstances led to the founding of the Indian states. Following India's declaration of independence, there was a rising demand for a more logical reorganisation of the States regarding independent India's financial, economic, and administrative management and because of the developing significance of regional languages.

For the first time, the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was founded in 1953 to look into the matter and provide guidelines and broad proposals for reorganising the States. The Commission issued its report in September 1955. Jawahar Lal Nehru, the prime minister, established the Commission. M. Panikkar and H. N. Kunzru were the two members of the SRC, which S. Fazal Ali directed.

Parliament adopted the States Reorganisation Act 1956 under Article 3 of the Indian Constitution to give effect to the reorganisation scheme that arose from examining the ideas included in the Report. The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act 1956 put the reorganisation programme into action.

It has included Article 350A, intended to carry out one of the key recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission addressing safeguarding for language minorities in the States following reorganisation. Andhra Pradesh, Bombay, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Mysore, Punjab, and Rajasthan are the new states founded due to the 1956 reorganisation of states.

Study Important Articles of the Constitution of India here.

State Reorganization Commissions

Several significant commissions were established to address the state reorganization, including the Dhar Commission, JVP Committee, and Fazal Ali Commission.

Dhar Commission

The Dhar Commission, formed in June 1948, aimed to explore the possibility of organizing states based on linguistic criteria. In December 1948, it submitted a report suggesting that states should be organized for administrative convenience, causing discontent.

JVP Committee

The JVP Committee, composed of Jawahar Lal Nehru, Vallahbhai Patel, and Pattabhi Sitaramayya, was created to address the grievances. This committee, named after their initials, rejected language as the primary basis for state reorganization. It was established in December 1948 and presented its report in April 1949.

Potti Sreeramulu's hunger strike demanding the creation of Andhra State led to significant public outcry, and he died in December 1952. In response, Andhra State was formed by separating Telugu-speaking areas from Madras state.

Fazal Ali Commission

The formation of Andhra Pradesh intensified demands for linguistic-based state reorganization in other regions. Consequently, the government established the State Reorganisation Commission, also known as the Fazal Ali Commission, in December 1953. This three-member commission, including K.M. Panikkar and H.N. Kunzru, submitted its report in September 1955. The commission recognized four key factors for state reorganization: linguistic and cultural similarities, preservation of India's unity and integrity, administrative, financial, and economic considerations, and the promotion of people's welfare through planning.

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Movement for Linguistic States

Even before India came free of British rule, there was a demand for states to be divided according to linguistic basis. It was first started in Odisha in 1895. Later on, the demand that the current Bihar and Orissa Provinces be divided into a distinct Orissa Province gave the movement further momentum. The movement finally succeeded in its goal in 1936 when Orissa Province became the first Indian state (pre-independence) to be constituted based on common languages because of the efforts of Madhusudan Das, the Father of Odia nationalism.

Political initiatives for establishing new states based on linguistic distinctions became popular in the years that followed independence. Following independence, a push to split off the northern Telugu-speaking districts of Madras State into their state gained momentum. In 1953, the sixteen Telugu-speaking north districts of Madras State created the new State of Andhra.

Several minor boundary adjustments were undertaken between 1950 and 1956, including the merger of the tiny state of Bilaspur with Himachal Pradesh on July 1, 1954, and the incorporation of Chandernagore, a former French Indian outpost, into West Bengal in 1955.

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Evolution Of State Reorganization in India

• After India’s new political map was carved out, there were linguistic resentments in various sections of the nation, which proved violent in some instances.
• Due to persistent pressure, Bombay state was partitioned into Maharashtra and Gujarat in 1959.
• Following that, there was dissatisfaction in NE India Nagaland, with people opposed to living alongside Assamese and began to desire a separate state. In NE India, dividing forces began to develop.
• As a result, the state of Nagaland was established in 1963. (now totalling 16 states). Before this, Goa, Daman, and Diu were emancipated from Portugal and placed on UTs in 1961.
• Punjab was split into four administrative areas in 1966, with language as the primary dividing factor. Punjab and Haryana were established in 1966. The foundation was dialect.
• Chandigarh was proclaimed a Union Territory for the first time in India since both states claimed it. Kangra district was granted to Himachal Pradesh, a Union Territory at the time, and was constituted a state in 1968. The Fazl committee was condemned before the creation of Himachal Pradesh.
• New variables for state reorganisation became crucial after 1970. During the 1970s, people’s demand was based on their culture, ethnicity, and backwardness.
• Smaller states, like Punjab and Haryana, grew more quicker. Although Punjab was divided linguistically, its economic success drew people in. There was a growing clamour for statehood, particularly in Northeast India.
• The NE India State Reorganisation Act of 1973 was approved, and NE India was partitioned into five states and two union territories.
• There were already two states, Assam and Nagaland, and three new states, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Tripura, were founded. Meghalaya was separated from Assam.
• Manipur and Tripura were former Union Territories that were elevated to state status. Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram were created as new Union Territories.
• One additional state was added in 1975. Sikkim was merged to form the smallest state in the world. It was elevated to the status of a condition due to its geostrategic significance.
• Due to local aspirations and the geostrategic importance of these states, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram were granted statehood in 1987.
• Goa was proclaimed a state in 1988 based on its culture. As a Union Territory, Daman and Diu stayed together.
• Three new states were added in 2000: Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal, and Jharkhand. The backwardness of these places served as the foundation for creation. Second, due to the continuing migration of outsiders, native tribes were becoming a minority in these locations. Tribes were frightened of being wiped out.
• Language state demands in India are no longer an issue, demonstrating the Fazl Commission’s foresight in contributing to India’s unity.

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