BharatNotes States Reorganisation Act, 1956
/steɪts ˌriːɔːɡənaɪˈzeɪʃən ækt/A landmark Central legislation that comprehensively reorganised Indian states on linguistic lines, based on the report of the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC, chaired by Justice Fazl Ali, with H.N. Kunzru and K.M. Panikkar as members), reducing 27 states and territories to 14 states and 6 Union Territories — creating major linguistic states including Andhra Pradesh (Telugu), Kerala (Malayalam), Karnataka (Kannada), Maharashtra and Gujarat (split in 1960), and Madhya Pradesh.
Context & Background
The SRC was constituted in 1953 after Potti Sriramulu died during a fast demanding a separate Telugu state, triggering violent protests that forced the creation of Andhra Pradesh in October 1953 (carved from Madras). The Commission examined all principles of state reorganisation — linguistic, administrative, economic — and recommended linguistic basis as primary, with considerations for national security, financial viability, and Five-Year Plan requirements. Subsequent reorganisations created Haryana and Chandigarh (1966), Meghalaya/Manipur/Tripura (1972), Chhattisgarh/Jharkhand/Uttarakhand (2000), and Telangana (2014).
UPSC Exam Relevance
GS1 & GS2 — Prelims: SRC chaired by Justice Fazl Ali (1953–1955); States Reorganisation Act 1956; 14 states + 6 UTs (from 1956); linguistic basis; Potti Sriramulu (Telugu — Andhra Pradesh 1953); Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966 (Punjab + Haryana + Chandigarh); Telangana as 29th state (2014, carved from Andhra Pradesh under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act); current: 28 states + 8 UTs (J&K bifurcated 2019). Mains: linguistic reorganisation as safety valve vs divisive force; river water disputes (Cauvery, Krishna, Godavari) as product of linguistic state creation; sons-of-the-soil movements; three-language formula controversy; Eighth Schedule (22 languages); demands for new states (Vidarbha, Bundelkhand, Bodoland, Gorkhaland).
