Reorganisation of States Act 1956, Commissions, Schedules and Purpose

Understand the Reorganisation of States Act 1956. Learn how it implemented the recommendations of the State Reorganisation Commission to create new states and union territories in India.

Table of Contents

Context: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi criticised the linguistic division of states, calling it a cause for creating “second-class citizens,” sparking controversy amid renewed debates on language politics in India.

Reorganisation of States

The Reorganisation of States in India was a key reform after independence, marked by the State Reorganisation Act of 1956. This act was influenced by public demands, especially in South India, and aimed to change state boundaries based on languages. It followed the Dhar Commission, which initially opposed this idea. The Act, passed on 31 August 1956, created new states like Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. While this was an important step, it didn’t end the reorganisation process. Over time, more states and Union Territories were created to better reflect regional identities and meet administrative needs.

Historical Background

Post-independence India required an efficient administrative setup.
The need arose to reorganise states for better governance, administrative convenience, and cultural representation.

State Reorganisation Act, 1956

Came into force on 31 August 1956.
Based on recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC), 1953.
Marked a shift from colonial administrative units to linguistically and culturally aligned states.

States Reorganisation Act 1956

The Parliament passed the State Reorganisation Act in November 1956 on the recommendation of the State Reorganisation Commission (Fazl Ali Commission). It provided for 14 states and 6 territories that were governed centrally. The 7th Constitutional 1956 Amendment Act was passed to replace the four types of states, known as Parts A, B, C, and D

State Reorganisation Act 1956 has added a new Article-350A, which carries out one of the key recommendations of the State Reorganisation Commission, addressing the safeguard for linguistic minorities.

The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 did not make a drastic reorganisation. To create the larger Andhra Pradesh State, the former Part B State of Hyderabad was merged with Andhra State. The former Part B State of Mysore became a more significant State of Karnataka with additional territories transferred from the States of Madras (Tamil Nadu) and Bombay. The State of Kerala was carved out of the former Part B State of Travancore-Cochin with new territories acquired from the State of Madras.

Pre-1956 Administrative Structure

Reorganisation of States Classification

Category	Details
Part A	All British Provinces (Governor province of British India) – Assam, Bihar, Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, The United Provinces, West Bengal.
Part B	Princely states with the legislature – Hyderabad, Jammu Kashmir, Madhya Bharat, Mysore, Patiala, Eastern Punjab.
Part C	Medium-sized princely states – States comprising Ajmer, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Cooch- Bihar, Coorg.
Part D	It Included Special status states – Territories comprising the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The initial integration of princely states with the rest of India was purely an ad hoc arrangement. There were growing demands from different regions, particularly South India, for the reorganisation of states on a linguistic basis. Various commissions were established by the Government to look into the demands of the reorganisation of states.

State Reorganisation Commissions

There are some important commissions constituted for the Reorganisation of the State, such as the Dhar Commission, JVP Committee and Fazal Ali Commission.

Dhar Commission (1948)

Dhar Commission

Established: June 1948
Members: SK Dhar, JN Lal, Panna Lall
Recommendations:
- Create two new provinces:
  - Assam: For diverse ethnic and linguistic groups.
  - North-East Frontier Tract (NEFA): Focus on tribal communities’ needs.
Rejection of Linguistic Provinces: Did not support organising provinces mainly by language.
Considerations for Reorganisation:

1. Geographical continuity
2. Financial self-sufficiency
3. Administrative convenience
4. Capacity for future development

Tribal Rights: Protected land rights and cultural practices.

JVP Committee (1948)

This committee was formed in December 1948 and submitted its report in April 1949, rejecting language as the basis for reorganising states. Potti Sreeramulu, a Telugu leader, demanded Andhra State from Madras and went on a hunger strike, but died on December 15, 1952. To address public outrage, the first linguistic reorganisation created Andhra State by separating Telugu-speaking areas from Madras.

JVP Committee

Established: December 1948
Members: Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Congress President Pattabhi Sitaramayya.

Main Recommendations:

Focused on security, unity, and economic growth instead of language.
Suggested postponing the new provinces to tackle more pressing issues.
Recognised that public demand might require some state changes, but with limits.

Fazal Ali Commission (1953)

The Creation of Andhra Pradesh intensified the demand for the creation of states on a linguistic basis in other regions as well. The Government was forced to re-examine the whole question. Thus, a new commission, known as the State Reorganisation (Fazal Ali Commission), was set up.

Fazal Ali Commission

Constituted: 1953, with members Justice Fazal Ali, Sardar K. M. Panikkar, and Hriday Nath Kunzru.
Main Recommendations: Accepted language as a basis for state reorganisation but rejected the idea of one language equating to one state.
Considerations for Reorganisation: Focused on national unity and security, linguistic and cultural homogeneity, as well as financial and administrative factors.
Proposed Structure: Advocated for 16 states and 3 centrally administered territories.
Impact: Led to the State Reorganisation Act of 1956, creating 14 states and 6 union territories, and introduced the 7th Constitutional Amendment, simplifying state classifications. Kerala was formed by merging Travancore-Cochin with the Malabar District from Madras State.

Outcomes of the State Reorganisation Commission

The Government accepted these recommendations with minor changes. The States Reorganisation Act 1956 and the 7^th Amendment Act 1956 were passed. The distinction between Part-A and Part-B states was repealed, and Part-C states were abolished.

Some of the states were merged with adjacent states, while others were designated as union territories (The term ‘Union territories’ was not there in the original constitution; it was introduced by the 7th constitutional amendment). In November 1956, India was composed of 14 States and 6 Union Territories:

Formation of States	Important Facts
Andhra Pradesh	1953 – The state of Andhra Pradesh Act of 1953 created the state, taking some area from the State of Madras.
Gujarat and Maharashtra	1960 – Bombay was divided into two States, i.e., Maharashtra and Gujarat, by the Bombay (Reorganisation) Act of 1960, and Gujarat became the 15^th state.
Kerala	Created by the State Reorganisation Act of 1956. It comprised the Travancore and Cochin areas.
Karnataka	Mysore State (Alteration of Name) Act, 1973 changed the name of the state of Mysore to that of the State of Karnataka.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli	This territory was ruled by the Portuguese until it was liberated in 1954. Till 1961, the administration of the Dadar & Nagar Haveli was carried out by the administrator, and the 10^th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1961 made it a union territory.
Puducherry	Puducherry’s territory includes the former French settlements in India known as Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam 1954, the French handed over this territory to India. Till 1962, Puducherry was administered as an “acquired territory” with the 14^th Constitutional Amendment Act making it a union territory.
Nagaland	State of Nagaland Act, 1962, created the new State of Nagaland (the 16^th state) by taking out the Naga Hills area from Assam, especially.
Haryana	1966 – The State of Punjab was bifurcated to create Haryana, the 17th state of the Indian Union and the union territory of Chandigarh.
Himachal Pradesh	1970 – Himachal Pradesh were elevated to the status of a State by the State of Himachal Pradesh State Act, of 1970.
Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya	With the enactment of the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act of 1971. Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya got the status of 19^th, 20^th and 21^st states, at the same time, two new union territories, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh carved out of the territories of Assam.
Sikkim	35^thConstitutional Amendment Act (1974) – Sikkim was first given the status of ‘Associate State’. Parliament enacted the 36^th Amendment Act of 1975, giving it the status of a full State.
Mizoram	State of Mizoram Act, 1986, gave Mizoram the status of a state
Arunachal Pradesh	State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986 gave it the status of a state. Since 1972, Arunachal Pradesh has been a union territory.

Present Statehood Demands in News

Many regions are still asking for their states or reorganisations:

Uttar Pradesh: Proposals to divide into Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, Awadh Pradesh, and Pashchim Pradesh.
Vidarbha: The Nagpur and Amravati areas in eastern Maharashtra want to become a separate state.
Other Demands:
- Places like Delhi, Gorkhaland, Kamtapur, North Bengal, Jungle Mahal, Bodoland, Barak Valley, Coorg, Baghelkhand, Rayalaseema, Saurashtra, Mithila, Panun Kashmir, Bru Land, and Chakma territory in Arunachal Pradesh are also expressing similar desires.
- Gorkhaland (North Bengal), Bodoland (Assam), Maru Pradesh (Rajasthan)
- Kamtapur, Coorg, Rayalaseema, Saurashtra, Mithila, Panun Kashmir, Bru Land, Chakma territory, and more.

Major Factors Behind State Reorganisation

Linguistic & Cultural Identity: Andhra Pradesh was the first linguistic state (1953), created after the death of Potti Sriramulu.
- Language often coincided with cultural unity and made governance easier.
Tribal & Ethnic Considerations: States like Nagaland were formed to accommodate tribal uniqueness.
Economic Aspirations: Regions like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Telangana demanded statehood to ensure focused economic development.
Administrative Viability: States like Uttarakhand were carved from larger units for efficient administration.
Security Concerns: Jammu & Kashmir was reorganised in 2019 due to national security and administrative issues.