States Reorganisation Act, 1956 - Revision history

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	{{History of India}}		{{History of India}}
	The '''States Reorganisation Act, 1956''' was a major reform of the boundaries of India's [[States and territories of India\|states and territories]], organising them along linguistic lines.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/explainer-reorganization-states-india-and-why-it-happened-52273\|title=Explainer: The reorganization of states in India and why it happened}}</ref>		The '''States Reorganisation Act, 1956''' was a major reform of the boundaries of India's [[States and territories of India\|states and territories]], organising them along linguistic lines.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/explainer-reorganization-states-india-and-why-it-happened-52273\|title=Explainer: The reorganization of states in India and why it happened\|date=2 November 2016}}</ref>

	Although additional changes to India's state boundaries have been made since 1956, the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 remains the single most extensive change in state boundaries since the independence of India in 1947.		Although additional changes to India's state boundaries have been made since 1956, the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 remains the single most extensive change in state boundaries since the independence of India in 1947.
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	[[British Raj\|British India]], which included present-day [[India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]], was divided into two types of territories: the [[British India\|Provinces of British India]], which were governed directly by British officials responsible to the [[Governor-General of India]]; and [[princely state\|the Indian State]]s, under the rule of local hereditary rulers who recognised British [[suzerainty]] in return for continued authority over their own realms, in most cases as established by treaty. As a result of the reforms of the early 20th century, most of the British provinces had directly elected legislatures as well as governors, although some of the smaller provinces were governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the Governor-General. Major reforms put forward by the British in the 1930s also recognised the principle of [[federalism]], which was carried forward into the governance of independent India.		[[British Raj\|British India]], which included present-day [[India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]], was divided into two types of territories: the [[British India\|Provinces of British India]], which were governed directly by British officials responsible to the [[Governor-General of India]]; and [[princely state\|the Indian State]]s, under the rule of local hereditary rulers who recognised British [[suzerainty]] in return for continued authority over their own realms, in most cases as established by treaty. As a result of the reforms of the early 20th century, most of the British provinces had directly elected legislatures as well as governors, although some of the smaller provinces were governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the Governor-General. Major reforms put forward by the British in the 1930s also recognised the principle of [[federalism]], which was carried forward into the governance of independent India.

	On 15 August 1947, British India was granted independence as the separate [[dominion]]s of [[India]] and [[Pakistan]]. The British dissolved their treaty relations with more than five hundred princely states, who were encouraged to [[Instrument of Accession\|accede]] to either India or Pakistan, while under no compulsion to do so. Most of the states acceded to India, and a few to Pakistan. [[Bhutan]], [[Hyderabad State\|Hyderabad]] and [[Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir\|Kashmir]] opted for independence, although ~~India invaded~~ Hyderabad ~~and brought it into the~~ Indian Union.		On 15 August 1947, British India was granted independence as the separate [[dominion]]s of [[India]] and [[Pakistan]]. The British dissolved their treaty relations with more than five hundred princely states, who were encouraged to [[Instrument of Accession\|accede]] to either India or Pakistan, while under no compulsion to do so. Most of the states acceded to India, and a few to Pakistan. [[Bhutan]], [[Hyderabad State\|Hyderabad]] and [[Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir\|Kashmir]] opted for independence, although Hyderabad was included in Indian Union by Military action according to the popular opinion of the people of Hyderabad. This was a direct consequence of the Inhuman acts of the Razakars on Non-Muslims.
	[[File:South Indian territories.svg\|235px\|thumb\|[[South India]]n states prior to the States Reorganisation Act]]		[[File:South Indian territories.svg\|235px\|thumb\|[[South India]]n states prior to the States Reorganisation Act]]

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	*[[Partition of India]]		*[[Partition of India]]
	*[[Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019]]		*[[Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019]]


	== Notes ==		== Notes ==
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	==External links==		==External links==
	*[http://www.liiofindia.org/in/legis/cen/num_act/sra1956250/ Text of the Act]		*[http://www.liiofindia.org/in/legis/cen/num_act/sra1956250/ Text of the Act]

	~~{{Indian legislations}}~~

	[[Category:1956 in India]]		[[Category:1956 in India]]
	[[Category:Nehru administration]]		[[Category:Nehru administration]]
	[[Category:Reorganisation of Indian states]]		[[Category:Reorganisation of Indian states]]

->Billjones94: /* Political integration after independence and the Constitution of 1950 */

2022-01-11T15:53:59Z

Political integration after independence and the Constitution of 1950

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{{short description|Act of the Parliament of India, of reformation pertaining to the boundaries of states and territories}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox legislation
| enacted_by = [[Parliament of India]]
| citation = ACT NO. 37 OF 1956
| date_enacted = 31st August, 1956
| date_effective = 1st November, 1956
| status = in force
}}
{{History of India}}
The '''States Reorganisation Act, 1956''' was a major reform of the boundaries of India's [[States and territories of India|states and territories]], organising them along linguistic lines.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/explainer-reorganization-states-india-and-why-it-happened-52273|title=Explainer: The reorganization of states in India and why it happened}}</ref>

Although additional changes to India's state boundaries have been made since 1956, the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 remains the single most extensive change in state boundaries since the independence of India in 1947.

The Act came into effect at the same time as the '''Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956''',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/amend/amend7.htm |title=Seventh Amendment |publisher=Indiacode.nic.in |access-date=2011-11-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501011646/http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/amend/amend7.htm |archive-date=1 May 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> which (among other things) restructured the constitutional framework for India's existing states and the requirements to pass the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 under the provisions of [[Part I of the Constitution of India|Part I]] of the [[Constitution of India]], Article 3.{{efn|[[:s:Constitution of India/Part I|Article 3]] deals with the "Formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States".}}

==Political integration after independence and the Constitution of 1950==
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2014}}
{{main article|Political integration of India}}
[[File:India Administrative Divisions 1951.svg|right|thumb|300px|Administrative divisions of India in 1951. Note that [[Sikkim]] was independent until 1975.]]

[[British Raj|British India]], which included present-day [[India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Bangladesh]], was divided into two types of territories: the [[British India|Provinces of British India]], which were governed directly by British officials responsible to the [[Governor-General of India]]; and [[princely state|the Indian State]]s, under the rule of local hereditary rulers who recognised British [[suzerainty]] in return for continued authority over their own realms, in most cases as established by treaty. As a result of the reforms of the early 20th century, most of the British provinces had directly elected legislatures as well as governors, although some of the smaller provinces were governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the Governor-General. Major reforms put forward by the British in the 1930s also recognised the principle of [[federalism]], which was carried forward into the governance of independent India.

On 15 August 1947, British India was granted independence as the separate [[dominion]]s of [[India]] and [[Pakistan]]. The British dissolved their treaty relations with more than five hundred princely states, who were encouraged to [[Instrument of Accession|accede]] to either India or Pakistan, while under no compulsion to do so. Most of the states acceded to India, and a few to Pakistan. [[Bhutan]], [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]] and [[Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir|Kashmir]] opted for independence, although India invaded Hyderabad and brought it into the Indian Union.
[[File:South Indian territories.svg|235px|thumb|[[South India]]n states prior to the States Reorganisation Act]]

Between 1947 and about 1950, the territories of the princely states were politically integrated into the Indian Union. Several states were merged into existing provinces; others were organised into unions, such as [[Rajputana]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Madhya Bharat]], and [[Vindhya Pradesh]], made up of multiple princely states; a few, including [[Mysore State|Mysore]], [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]], [[Bhopal State|Bhopal]], and [[Bilaspur State|Bilaspur]], remained separate states. The [[Government of India Act 1935]] remained the constitutional law of India pending adoption of a new Constitution.

The new [[Constitution of India]], which came into force on 26 January 1950, made India a sovereign democratic republic. The new republic was also declared to be a "Union of States".<ref>{{cite book|title=Constitution of India|chapter=Article 1|url=http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-indexenglish.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402064301/http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-indexenglish.htm|archive-date=2 April 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The constitution of 1950 distinguished between three main types of states and a class of territories:

* Part A states – which were the former governors' provinces of British India, were ruled by a governor appointed by the president and an elected state legislature. The nine Part A states were [[Assam]], [[Bihar]], [[Bombay State|Bombay]], [[Madhya Pradesh]] (formerly Central Provinces and Berar), [[Madras State|Madras]], [[Orissa, India|Orissa]], [[East Punjab|Punjab]] (formerly East Punjab), [[Uttar Pradesh]] (formerly the United Provinces), and [[West Bengal]].
* Part B states – which were former princely states or unions of princely states, governed by a [[rajpramukh]], who was usually the ruler of a constituent state, and an elected legislature. The rajpramukh was appointed by the [[President of India]]. The eight Part B states were [[Hyderabad State (1948–56)|Hyderabad]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Madhya Bharat]], [[Mysore State|Mysore]], [[Patiala and East Punjab States Union]] (PEPSU), [[Rajasthan]], [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]], and [[Travancore-Cochin]].
* Part C states – included both the former chief commissioners' provinces and some princely states, and each was governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the President of India. The ten Part C states were [[Ajmer State|Ajmer]], [[Bhopal State (1949–56)|Bhopal]], [[Bilaspur State (1950 - 1954)|Bilaspur]], [[Coorg State|Coorg]], [[Delhi]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Cutch State|Cutch]], [[Manipur]], [[Tripura]], and [[Vindhya Pradesh]].
* The sole Part D territory<ref>{{cite web |url=http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/amend/amend7.htm |title=The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956 |access-date=2011-11-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501011646/http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/amend/amend7.htm |archive-date=1 May 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> – was the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]], which was administered by a lieutenant governor appointed by the central government.

==Movement for linguistic states==
The demand for states to be organised on a linguistic basis was developed even before India achieved independence from British rule. A first-of-its-kind linguistic movement started in 1895, in what is now [[Odisha]]. The movement gained momentum in later years with the demand for a separate [[Orissa Province]] to be formed by bifurcating the existing [[Bihar and Orissa Province]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110401/jsp/orissa/story_13795031.jsp|title=Demand of separate province for Oriya|publisher=The Telegraph}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i0HdDbdKa8UC&pg=PA249|title=States Politics in India|isbn=9788170996194|last1=Sharma|first1=Sadhna|year=1995}}</ref> Due to the efforts of [[Madhusudan Das]], the Father of Odia nationalism, the movement eventually achieved its objective in 1936, when [[Orissa Province]] became the first Indian state (pre-independence) to be organised on the basis of common languages.

The post-independence period saw the ascent of political movements for the creation of new states developed on linguistic lines. The movement to create a [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-speaking state out of the northern portion of [[Madras State]] gathered strength in the years after independence, and in 1953, the sixteen northern Telugu-speaking districts of Madras State became the new [[Andhra State|State of Andhra]].

During the 1950–1956 period, other small changes were made to state boundaries: the small state of Bilaspur was merged with Himachal Pradesh on 1 July 1954; and [[Chandernagore]], a former [[enclave]] of [[French India]], was incorporated into [[West Bengal]] in 1955. However, post-independence, the first state to be created on a linguistic basis was [[Andhra State|Andhra]] in 1953, created out of the [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-speaking northern parts of [[Madras State]].

==States Reorganisation Commission==
{{main article|States Reorganisation Commission}}
The States Reorganisation Commission was preceded by the Linguistic Provinces Commission (aka Dhar Commission), which was set up in June 1948. It rejected language as a parameter for dividing states. Later, Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] appointed the States Reorganisation Commission in December 1953, with the remit to reorganise the Indian states. The new commission was headed by the retired Chief Justice of the [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]], [[Fazal Ali]]; its other two members were [[H. N. Kunzru]] and [[K. M. Panikkar]]. The efforts of the commission were overseen by [[Govind Ballabh Pant]], who served as the [[Home Minister]] from December 1954.

The States Reorganisation Commission submitted a report on September 30, 1955, with recommendations for the reorganisation of India's states, which was then debated by the Indian parliament. Subsequently, bills were passed to make changes to the constitution and to administer the reorganisation of the states.<ref name="economicweekly">{{cite web|url=http://www.epw.in/system/files/pdf/1955_7/42/reorganisation_of_statesthe_approach_and_arrangements.pdf|title=Reorganisation of states|publisher=Economic Weekly}}</ref>
[[File:India administrative map 1956 PL.png|thumb|Indian states after the States Reorganisation Act]]

==Related changes by other legislation==
The States Reorganisation Act was enacted on 31 August 1956. Before it came into effect on 1 November, an important amendment was made to the Constitution of India. Under the Seventh Amendment, the existing terminology of Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D states was altered. The distinction between Part A and Part B states was removed, becoming known simply as "states". A new type of entity, the Union Territory, replaced the classification as a Part C or Part D state.

A further Act also came into effect on 1 November, transferring certain territories from [[Bihar]] to [[West Bengal]].<ref>''Bihar and West Bengal (Transfer of Territories) Act, 1956''</ref>

==Effect of the changes==
The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was a major step towards dividing India into states and [[Union Territories]]. The following list sets out the states and union territories of India as reorganised on 1 November 1956:

===States===
#[[Andhra Pradesh]]: formed by the merger of [[Andhra State]] (1953–56) with the Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad State (1948–56).
#[[Assam]]: The adjoining map depicts the scenario according to States Reorganisation Act of 1956. However, the state of Assam have been further divided into [[Arunachal Pradesh]], [[Mizoram]], [[Nagaland]], [[Meghalaya]] (not in chronological order) in subsequent years.
#[[Bihar]]: reduced slightly by the transfer of minor territories to West Bengal (Purulia from Manbhum district, Islampur from [[Purnea district]]).
#[[Bombay State]]: the state was enlarged by the addition of [[Saurashtra State]] and [[Kutch State]], the Marathi-speaking districts of [[Berar Division]] and [[Nagpur Division]] of [[Central Province and Berar]] and [[Marathwada]] region of [[Hyderabad State (1948–56)|Hyderabad State]]. The southernmost districts of the [[Bombay Presidency]] were transferred to [[Mysore State]].
#[[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]: No change of boundary in 1956.
#[[Kerala]]: formed by the merger of [[Travancore-Cochin]] state with the [[Malabar district]] and [[Kasaragod]] taluk of [[South Canara]] district of the [[Madras Presidency]]. The southern part of [[Travancore-Cochin]], [[Kanyakumari district]], along with [[Sengottai]] Taluk, was transferred to Madras State. The [[Laccadive Islands|Laccadive]] and [[Minicoy]] Islands were separated from [[Malabar District]] to form a new Union Territory namely [[Laccadive Islands|Laccadive]], [[Amindivi]], and [[Minicoy]] Islands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://legislative.gov.in/sites/default/files/A1956-37.pdf|title=The States Reorganisation Act, 1956|website=legislative.gov.in|publisher=Government of India}}</ref>
#[[Madhya Pradesh]]: [[Madhya Bharat]], [[Vindhya Pradesh]], and [[Bhopal State]] were merged into Madhya Pradesh; the Marathi-speaking districts of [[Nagpur Division]] were transferred to Bombay State.
#[[Madras State]]: [[Malabar District]] was transferred to the new state of [[Kerala]], and a new union territory, [[Laccadive|Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands]], was created. The southern part of [[Travancore-Cochin]], [[Kanyakumari district]], along with [[Sengottai]] Taluk, was added to the state.
#[[Mysore State]]: enlarged by the addition of [[Coorg State]] and the [[Kannada]] speaking districts from western [[Madras Presidency]], southern [[Bombay Presidency]] and western [[Hyderabad State]].
#[[Orissa, India|Orissa]]: No change of boundary in 1956.
#[[East Punjab|Punjab]]: enlarged by addition of the [[Patiala and East Punjab States Union]].
#[[Rajasthan]]: enlarged by the addition of [[Ajmer-Merwara|Ajmer]] state and parts of Bombay and Madhya Bharat states.
#[[Uttar Pradesh]]: No change of boundary in 1956.
#[[West Bengal]]: enlarged by addition of [[Purulia]] district, previously part of Bihar.

===Union territories===

The Part C and Part D territories that weren't merged into other states, were converted into Union Territories:
#[[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]
#[[Delhi]]
#[[Manipur]]
#[[Tripura]]
#[[Himachal Pradesh]]
#[[Lakshadweep|Laccadive, Minicoy & Amindivi Islands]]

==See also==
*[[Unification of Karnataka]]
*[[Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966]]
*[[Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000]]
*[[Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000]]
*[[Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000]]
*[[Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014]]
*[[Himachal Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 1970]]
*[[List of proposed states and territories of India]]
*[[Administrative divisions of India]]
*[[States and union territories of India]]
*[[Political integration of India]]
*[[Union Territory]]
*[[Indian Constitution]]
*[[Partition of India]]
*[[Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.liiofindia.org/in/legis/cen/num_act/sra1956250/ Text of the Act]

{{Indian legislations}}

[[Category:1956 in India]]
[[Category:Nehru administration]]
[[Category:Reorganisation of Indian states]]