What is the States Reorganization Act of 1956?

After independence, India inherited a complex mess of States from the British rule and the princely states. Furthermore, for the reorganization of the States and the country, a Committee in 1953 recommended redrawing State borders based on language and culture. Therefore, this led to the States Reorganization Act of 1956, which reshaped India’s map into more unified States. Read on to learn more about the States Reorganization Act, the Important Provisions of the Act, the Classification of the States as well as the important Events from 1948 to 2000. 

State Reorganization Commission

The States Reorganization Commission was formed in 1953 under Fazal Ali. 

• Moreover, the Commission replaced an earlier commission that focused on language. 
• This new Commission considered language, culture, and administrative needs. 
• Additionally, their 1955 report led to the States Reorganization Act of 1956, hence redrawing India’s map to create more unified States. 

Also Read: What is State Autonomy in India?

Important Provisions of the States Reorganization Act of 1956

Furthermore, here are the important Provisions of the States Reorganization Act of 1956:

• Merged states: Telugu-speaking regions joined to form Andhra Pradesh.
  • Kannada-speaking areas came together to form a bigger Mysore state.

• Reshaped states: Bombay gained Marathi-speaking areas but lost some southern districts to Mysore.
  • Moreover, Madhya Pradesh absorbed several smaller states. 
  • Punjab was enlarged.

• Created new states: Kerala was formed by merging regions with Malayalam as the main language.

• Union Territories: Some smaller States and territories became Union Territories and are directly governed by the central government.

Also Read: Who is a Governor of a State in India?

Classification of States of India

The Indian Constitution of 1950 divided the States into four categories which are Part A, B, C, and D States. 

Classification of States of India
Type	Description	Examples
Part A	Former governors’ provinces of British India	Bihar, Assam, Bombay, Madras, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh
Part B	Former princely states or unions of princely states	Rajasthan, Saurashtra, Mysore, Patiala, East Punjab States Union, Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Bharat, Travancore-Cochin
Part C	Some princely states and former chief commissioners’ provinces	Bhopal, Ajmer, Tripura, Vindhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Bilaspur, Coorg, Cutch, Manipur
Part D	Andaman and Nicobar Islands	Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Also Read: What is National Integration in India?

States and UT Formed by the States Reorganization Act of 1956

In addition, here is a table listing the changes and formations of States in 1956:

Changes and Formations of States by the States Reorganization Act of 1956
State	Feature
Andhra Pradesh	Formed by merging Telugu-speaking regions of Hyderabad with Andhra state.
Assam	Subsequently divided into Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya.
Bihar	Reduced by transferring small territories to West Bengal.
Bombay State	Expanded by adding Marathi-speaking region of Berar Division, Nagpur Division, Saurashtra state, Kutch state, and Marathwada region of Hyderabad state.
Jammu and Kashmir	Expanded by adding the Marathi-speaking region of Berar Division, Nagpur Division, Saurashtra state, Kutch state, and Marathwada region of Hyderabad state.
Kerala	Formed by merging Travancore-Cochin state with Malabar district and Kasaragod taluk of South Canara district.
Madhya Pradesh	Expanded by merging Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal State.
Madras State	Expanded by adding Sengottai Taluk, Kanyakumari district, and southern parts of Travancore Cochin.
Mysore State	Enlarged by adding Coorg state and Kannada-speaking regions from Madras Presidency, Bombay Presidency, and Hyderabad state.
Orissa	No boundary changes were observed in 1956.
Punjab	Expanded by adding Patiala and East Punjab States Union.
Rajasthan	Added Ajmer state, parts of Bombay, and Madhya Pradesh States.
Uttar Pradesh	No changes in boundaries.
West Bengal	Added Purulia district from Bihar.

Notably, 5 leftover territories from the State Reorganization became India’s Union Territories: 

• Delhi
• Manipur
• Andaman & Nicobar
• Tripura
• Himachal Pradesh

Also Read: What is the Difference Between States and Union Territories of India?

Important Events 

The 1950 Constitution classified States into four types. To create Permanent States, the Dhar Commission in 1948 focused on language but also considered history, economy, and geography. Interestingly, the Commission favoured administrative needs over pure language in redrawing State boundaries. 

Timeline of Important Events related to the States of India
Year	Event	Details
1948	S.K. Dhar Commission	The Commission appointed to study the reorganization of States, highlighted linguistic, historical, and other factors.
1949	JVP Committee Report	The Report suggested against linguistic reorganization but acknowledged public demand for reevaluation.
1953	Andhra Pradesh Formation	The First linguistic State was formed for Telugu-speaking people after Potti Sriramulu’s death.
1953	Fazl Commission	The Commission appointed by Nehru to study linguistic demands; recommended 3 central admin areas and 16 states.
1956	States Reorganisation Act	It divided India into 6 union territories and 14 states, based on linguistic and other considerations.
1960	Division of Bombay	Bombay state split into Gujarat and Maharashtra due to regional agitation.
1961	Nagaland Formation	Nagaland formed as a separate state for Nagas, previously under Assam government.
1966	Punjab Reorganisation Act	This led to the formation of Punjab as a separate state; Chandigarh became a joint capital of Haryana and Punjab.
1969	Meghalaya Formation	Assam divided, Meghalaya emerged as a separate state.
1971-1987	Addition of New States	Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Goa gained statehood.
2000	Creation of Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh	Three new states were established.

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