Reorganization of States Notes For BA.LLB||UPSC||Arts Students||Lawbrief.in||Most Imporatant Questions

The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 reformed the boundaries of Indian states and territories, systematizing them on language base. The newly drafted Constitution of India, which came into force on 26 January 1950, distinguished states into four main types. This article briefly shares details on the different types of states as classified in the Constitution of India.

1. Part A States

• These were the former governors' provinces of British India.
• They were governed by elected governors and state legislatures.
• Examples: Bombay, Madras, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal.

2. Part B States

• These included former princely states or groups of princely states.
• Governed by a Rajpramukh (appointed by the President) with an elected legislature.
• Examples: Hyderabad, Jammu & Kashmir, Mysore, Rajasthan, PEPSU, Travancore-Cochin, Madhya Bharat.

3. Part C States

• These were made up of former chief commissioner provinces and some princely states.
• Administered by a Chief Commissioner appointed by the President.
• Examples: Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Coorg, Ajmer, Bhopal, Tripura, Manipur, Vindhya Pradesh, etc.

4. Part D States

• Only one: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, governed by a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the central government.

Why Was the States Reorganization Commission Formed?

At independence (1947), India had over 500 princely states. To simplify administration, the government set up the States Reorganisation Commission on 29 December 1953, led by Fazal Ali, H.N. Kunzru, and K.M. Panikkar.

Its main aim was to redraw state boundaries based on language, promoting unity and making governance easier.

How Were States Reorganized?

Originally, 571 princely states were merged into 27. The Commission later proposed creating 16 states and 3 union territories. The final Reorganisation Act of 1956 created 14 states and 6 union territories.

Though language was a major factor, the Commission also considered cultural, tribal, ethnic, and administrative needs. For example:

• Nagaland was created due to tribal identity.
• Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were formed for better economic governance.

First State Formed in Independent India

Andhra State was the first to be formed in independent India. Later, it became Andhra Pradesh on 1 November 1956.

Frequently Asked Questions related to Reorganization of States

Q:- Why was the States Reorganization Commission formed?

Ans:- At the time of independence in 1947, India had more than 500 disjointed princely states. Temporarily the constituent units of India were divided into Part A, B, C, and D states. Hence State Reorganization was constituted by the Government of India on 29 December 1953 to look into the matter of redrawing the boundaries of States. One of the most popular demands was to reorganize the states based on languages, this was done to make administration easier and to replace controversial caste and religion-based identities with less controversial linguistic identities. The State reorganization commission consisted of H N Kunzru, Fazal Ali and K M Panikkar.

Q:- On what basis were Indian states Reorganised after Independence?

Answer:- Soon after independence, 571 princely states were reorganised and merged together to form 27 states. This reorganization was done based on political and historical considerations. This reorganization of states was done on a temporary basis. The State Reorganization Commission formed in 1953 gave its report in 1955 to reorganize states into 16 states and 3 union territories. The Government divided the country into 14 states and 6 union territories under the State Reorganization Act that was passed in November 1956. The State Reorganization Commission recommended that “it is neither possible nor desirable to reorganise States on the basis of the single test of either language or culture, but that a balanced approach to the whole problem is necessary in the interest of our national unity.” Later when the states were reorganized one could say the basis of reorganization could be linguistic, ethnic or administrative purposes. Reorganizing states on the basis of language would not only help in ease of administration but also the development of vernacular languages which was ignored by the British. Even cultural affiliations were taken into account, for example, Nagaland was created taking into account tribal affiliations. In the recent past, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were created for better economic development in the respective regions.