Reorganization of States

Constitutional Procedure for Reorganization

Introduction of the Bill

• A Bill for the Creation of a New State or Alteration of the Area, Boundary, or Name of an Existing State can be introduced in Either House of Parliament only on the Recommendation of the President.

Reference to the State Legislature

• Before introducing such a Bill, the President refers it to the Legislature of the Concerned State for expressing its Views within a specified period.

Nature of State’s Opinion

• The opinion of the State Legislature is Advisory in nature.
• Parliament is not bound to accept or act upon the recommendations made by the concerned State Legislature.

Majority Required

• A State Reorganisation Bill is passed by a Simple Majority in Both Houses of Parliament.

Union Territories

• It is Not Mandatory to obtain the views of the Legislatures of Union Territories before introducing a Bill affecting their Area, Boundary, or Name.

Major State Reorganizations

States Reorganisation Act, 1956

• The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 extensively reorganised the Boundaries of States primarily on Linguistic Basis.
• It led to the formation of the New State of Kerala.
• Several former States and administrative units were merged or reorganised, including:
  
  • Madhya Bharat
  • PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union)
  • Saurashtra
  • Travancore–Cochin
  • Ajmer
  • Bhopal
  • Coorg
  • Kutch
  • Vindhya Pradesh
• After this reorganisation, India consisted of:
  
  • 14 States
  • 6 Union Territories

Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960

• The erstwhile State of Bombay was divided into:
  
  • Maharashtra
  • Gujarat

Formation of Nagaland (1963)

• Nagaland was established as a Separate State in 1963.

Punjab Reorganisation (1966)

• The former State of Punjab was reorganised into:
  
  • Punjab
  • Haryana

Formation of New States

Himachal Pradesh (1971)

• The Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh was granted Full Statehood through an Act of 1971.

North-Eastern States (1971 onwards)

• In 1971, the following States were created:
  
  • Manipur
  • Tripura
  • Meghalaya
• The following were initially constituted as Union Territories:
  
  • Mizoram
  • Arunachal Pradesh
• Both Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh were later granted Statehood in 1986.

Sikkim

• Sikkim became a part of the Union of India through the 36th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1975, acquiring Full Statehood.

Goa

• Goa attained Statehood in 1987, while Daman and Diu continued as a Union Territory.

Creation of New States in 2000

Chhattisgarh

• Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh and came into existence on 1 November 2000.

Uttaranchal (Now Uttarakhand)

• Uttaranchal (renamed Uttarakhand in 2007) was created from Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000.

Jharkhand

• Jharkhand was formed by bifurcating Bihar on 15 November 2000.
• It became the 28th State of India.

Formation of Telangana

  Approval for Statehood

• • On 30 July 2013, the Union Government approved the proposal to create Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.

  Establishment

• • Telangana officially came into existence on 2 June 2014.
  • It became the 29th State of India at the time of its formation, following the enactment of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.