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State Reorganization Act of 1956 – Evolution, Linguistic & Cultural Transformations, Progress, Unity

 

State Reorganization Act of 1956 – Evolution, Linguistic & Cultural Transformations, Progress, Unity #

India’s Post-Independence State Reorganization Journey with a Focus on the State Reorganization Act #

The British colonial administration had organized the Indian subcontinent into provinces and princely states without necessarily considering linguistic or cultural affinities, which led to administrative difficulties and tensions in post independence. After India gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947, the issue of Reorganisation of states based on linguistic and cultural diversity became a significant concern. 

Transforming India: Evolution of Linguistic States and the Impact of the State Reorganization Act of 1956 #

  • Demand In the Constituent Assembly: In the Constituent Assembly demands for linguistic Reorganization of states were raised.
    • Leaders thought that immediately after partition, creation of linguistic states might create further tension and postponed the decision.
    • However, Parliament was given the power to create new states or merge old states or parts of such states or alter boundaries in future.

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  • Appointment of Commissions: At the time of independence, British India consisted of 17 provinces and more than 550 princely states.
    • To address this issue, the Indian government initiated a process of state Reorganization and appointed Commissions to look into the feasibility of Reorganisation.
  • Birth of the First Linguistic State: In 1953, the first linguistic state of Andhra for Telugu-speaking people was born
    • Consequently, there were similar demands for creation of states on linguistic basis from other parts of the country. 
  • The State Reorganization Act of 1956: Above circumstances led to passing of the State Reorganization Act of 1956. This act recognizes the importance of language as a significant marker of identity and culture in a diverse nation like India.
Also Read: REORGANISATION OF STATES: FORMATION, LINGUISTICS CHALLENGES AND BEYOND

 

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Evolution of States and Union Territory in India’s Constitutional Landscape (1950-1956)  #

  • In 1950, The Constitution of India, divided the states of the Indian Union into four categories or parts (Total 29 states or provinces)
    • Part A: 9 former governor’s provinces
    • Part B: 9 former princely states
    • Part C: former princely states + chief commissioners provinces
    • Part D: Andaman and Nicobar
In this classifications, Part A states had a Governor, Part B states had a Rajpramukh and Part C states had a commissioner

State Reorganization Act: A Critical Assessment of Linguistic Considerations by Dhar Commission and JVP Committee (1948) #

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  • Ad-Hoc Integration of Princely States: The integration of princely states with the rest of India has purely an ad-hoc arrangement. 
  • The S.K. Dhar Commission: Government of India appointed the Linguistic Provinces Commission under the chairmanship of S.K. Dhar in June 1948 to examine the feasibility and evolution of an objective criteria. 
    • Committee recommended the Reorganisation of states on the basis of administrative convenience rather than linguistic factors (Report in Dec 1948)
  • The JVP Committee: Disappointment with the Dhar committee led to the appointment of another Linguistic Provinces Committee in December 1948 itself.
    • It consisted of Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhai Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramayya, to examine the whole question afresh (Famously known as JVP Committee).
    • The JVP committee formally rejected language as the basis for Reorganization of states but said that the issue could be looked at afresh in the light of public demand.
Also Read: INDIAN CITIZENSHIP: CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS, LEGAL FRAMEWORK, AND RIGHTS & DUTIES OF CITIZENS

How did the States Reorganisation Commission of 1953 affect the Linguistic Basis and how did the State Reorganization Act affect India’s Diversity and Unity? #

  • Potti Sriramulu’s Sacrifice: A prolonged agitation and the death of Potti Sriramulu after a 56-day hunger strike, The government was forced to separate the Telugu speaking areas from the state of Madras which led to formation of Andhra Pradesh.

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    • Consequently, there were similar demands for creation of states on linguistic basis from other parts of the country. 
  • The States Reorganisation Commission: This forced the Government to appoint a three-member States Reorganisation Commission in 1953, to re-examine the whole question. 
    • Members: Fazl Ali (chairperson), K.M. Panikkar and H.N. Kunzru.
    • Committee broadly accepted language as the basis of Reorganization of states.
    • At the same time, it 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:
      • Preservation and strengthening of the 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. 
    • Fazl Ali Commission also suggested the abolition of the four-fold classification of states under the original Constitution and creation of 16 states and 3 centrally administered territories.

The early years (1947-1956) #

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Shaping Modern India: Transformative Impact of the State Reorganization Act of 1956 #

The Government of India accepted the recommendation of Fazl ALi Commission with certain minor modifications. The States Reorganisation Act (1956) and the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act (1956) passed for Reorganization of the states and provinces.

  • Objective: The primary aim of this act was to create states based on linguistic lines, recognizing the importance of language as a significant marker of identity and culture in a diverse nation like India.
  • Abolishment of Part-A and Part-B States: The act did away with the distinction between Part-A and Part-B states and Part-C states were abolished.
    • Some of them were merged with adjacent states and some others were designated as union territories. 
  • Ongoing Reorganizations: The process continued over the years, leading to further Reorganisations and the formation of new states to accommodate these considerations.
Also Read: UNDERSTANDING THE PREAMBLE OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION: SIGNIFICANCE, EVOLUTION, AND CONTEMPORARY DEBATES

 

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Legacy and Key Features of the State Reorganization Act of 1956 #

  • Formation New States: The act led to the creation of new states and the Reorganisation of existing ones based on the predominant language spoken by the population.
    • It created 14 states and 6 union territories on November 1, 1956, replacing the previous classification of states (Part A, B, C, and D) with the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1956
    • The former Part B State of Hyderabad was merged with Andhra State to create the larger Andhra Pradesh State. 
    • The former Part B State of Mysore was transformed into the significant state of Karnataka with additional territories transferred from the States of Madras (Tamil Nadu) and Bombay. 
    • Further, it merged the Madya Bharat state, Vindya Pradesh state and Bhopal state into the Madhya Pradesh state.
  • Preservation of Existing States: States that had a common linguistic identity were often retained, but they were sometimes adjusted in terms of boundaries to align with linguistic considerations.
    • Example: 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
  • Bilingual States: In some cases, states were declared as bilingual, recognizing that multiple languages might be spoken in a region.
    • Example: It merged the Saurashtra state and Kutch state (Gujrathi speaking) into that of Bombay (Marathi speaking) and created a bilingual state of Bombay.
  • Promoted the Linguistic and Cultural Identity: This Reorganization was a significant step in India’s post-independence history, as it recognized the importance of linguistic and cultural identity in governance and administration.
    • Example: It created the new union territory of Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands from the territory detached from the Madras to preserve its cultural distinctiveness.

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Article-350A #

  • It was introduced by the 7th constitutional Amendment Act of 1956.
  • It shall be the endeavor of every State and of every local authority within the State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother-tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups; 
  • The President may issue such directions to any State as he considers necessary or proper for securing the provision of such facilities.

 

Post-1956 State Reorganization Act and the Evolution of India’s New States

  • Birth of States in 1956: The new States formed as a result of the reorganization of States in 1956 are Andhra Pradesh, Bombay, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Mysore, Punjab and Rajasthan.
  • Dynamic Evolution: The political map of India underwent continuous change due to the pressure of popular agitations and political conditions. 
    • The demand for the creation of more states on the basis of language or cultural homogeneity resulted in the bifurcation of existing states.
  • Legislative Responses: Thereafter the Parliament had also enacted various Reorganisation Acts from time to time
    • Example: The Bombay Reorganisation Act in 1960; The Punjab Reorganisation Act in 1966; the State of Himachal Pradesh Reorganisation Act in 1970 and North-Eastern States reorganization Act in 1971.
  • Parliamentary Reshaping in 2000: The last major reorganization was the Reorganisation Acts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar which were enacted by the Parliament in November, 2000.
  • The Telangana Movement: The latest in this category was the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014, that split the state of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and the residuary Andhra Pradesh state, following the Telangana movement.

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Andhra State Act, 1953 and the Genesis of Linguistic States in India #

  • Formed the first linguistic state, known as the State of Andhra, by taking out the Telugu speaking areas from the State of Madras. Kurnool was the capital of Andhra State and the state high court was established at Guntur.

1956 - India after linguistic reorganization

Serial Number Name of New State Description
15th state Gujrat, 1956
  • In 1960, the bilingual state of Bombay was divided into two separate states – Maharashtra (Marathi speaking people) and Gujarat (Gujarati speaking people). It created 15 th state as a Gujarat.
16th state Nagaland
  • In 1963, the State of Nagaland was formed by taking the Naga Hills and Tuensang area out of the state of Assam which formed the 16th state.
17th State Haryana, 1966
  • On the recommendation of the Shah Commission (1966), in 1966, the State of Punjab was bifurcated to create Haryana, and the UT of Chandigarh.
  • Haryana was 17th state to be formed in 1966
18th State Himachal Pradesh
  • In 1971, the UT of Himachal Pradesh was elevated to the status of a state of the Indian Union forming the 18th state.
19th, 20th and 21 First Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya Respectively, 1972
  • In 1972, the two UTs of Manipur and Tripura and the sub-state under Assam i.e Meghalaya got statehood and the two UTs of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh (NEFA) came into being. 
22 Second Sikkim, 1975
  • Till 1947, Sikkim was an Indian princely state ruled by Chogyal. In 1947, after the lapse of British paramountcy, Sikkim became a ‘protectorate’ of India.
  • The Indian Government assumed responsibility for the defense, external affairs and communications of Sikkim. 
  • The 35th Constitutional Amendment Act (1974) was enacted by the parliament. This amendment introduced a new class of statehood under the constitution by conferring on Sikkim the status of an ‘associate state’ of the Indian Union. 
  • A new Art. 2-A and a new schedule (10th Schedule) were inserted in the Constitution. 
  • The 36th Constitutional Amendment Act (1975) was enacted to make Sikkim a full-fledged state of the Indian Union (the 22nd state). 
  • This amendment amended the First and the Fourth Schedules to the Constitution and added a new Art. 371-F to provide for certain special provisions with respect to the administration of Sikkim. 
  • It also repealed Art. 2-A and the 10th Schedule.
23rd, 24th and 25th  Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa Respectively ,1987
  • In 1987, three new States of Mizoram (Mizoram Peace Accord 1985), Arunachal Pradesh and Goa came into being states of the Indian Union Forming 23rd, 24th, and 25th state Respectively.
26th, 27th and 28th  Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand
  • In 2000, three more new States of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand (26th, 27th and 28th states respectively) states were created out of the territories of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, respectively. 
29th  Telangana, 2014
  • In 2014, the new state of Telangana came into existence as the 29th state of the Indian Union.
  • It was carved out of the territories of Andhra Pradesh. B. N. A Shrikrishna committee was appointed for the Reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh. (Same committee also formulated a Personal Data Protection bill).

 

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Also Read: SCHEDULES OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION: 12 SCHEDULES NURTURING DEMOCRACY

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 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

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UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
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Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
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Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
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