The State Reorganisation in India, beginning with the Andhra State Act, 1953 and institutionalised through the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, marked a defining phase in India’s nation-building. By recognising linguistic and regional aspirations within the constitutional framework of Article 3, India adopted a flexible federal model that strengthened rather than weakened national unity.
Significance of State Reorganisation:
1. Strengthening National Integration:
- Linguistic accommodation prevented alienation and separatism. For example, Formation of Andhra Pradesh (1953) after Potti Sreeramulu’s fast.
- India avoided large-scale ethnic fragmentation unlike several post-colonial states.
2. Deepening Cooperative Federalism:
- The 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 abolished Part A, B, C categories and standardised the federal structure.
- Article 3 gives Parliament flexibility to reorganise states without constitutional rigidity which strengthened cooperative federalism.
- For example, Telangana created through parliamentary process despite political contestation.
3. Improving administrative efficiency:
- Smaller states enhanced governance in geographically challenging areas.
- For e.g., Uttarakhand (2000) improved hill-area administration and Chhattisgarh (2000) enabled focused tribal and mineral development.
4. Addressing ethnic aspirations:
- Nagaland, 1963 and Mizoram, 1987 emerged from insurgency contexts.
- The Mizoram Peace Accord, 1986 transformed a conflict region into a stable state.
- Special provisions under Article 371A & 371F also safeguarded cultural autonomy.
5. Promoting linguistic and cultural identity:
- Article 350A ensured mother-tongue education for linguistic minorities.
- Kerala formation in 1956 unified Malayalam speakers while a separate Gujarat state consolidated Gujarati identity. It strengthened participatory democracy at regional levels.
6. Facilitating targeted economic development:
- Jharkhand enabled focused tribal welfare and mineral-based planning.
- Himachal Pradesh achieved high human development indicators after statehood in 1971.
- Post-2000 states showed improved GSDP growth during early years.
Key concerns associated with state reorganisation:
1. Proliferation of identity-based demands:
- Ongoing demands for Vidarbha, Gorkhaland, Bodoland, Bundelkhand etc. Show the risk of competitive regionalism and fragmentation politics.
- Statehood movements may escalate into agitation and instability.
2. Economic viability issues:
- Smaller states may lack revenue base and depend heavily on central transfers. Also, the risk of administrative duplication increasing costs
- For example, Several North-Eastern states have high fiscal deficits and low own-tax revenue.
3. Politicisation of statehood movements:
- Risk of short-term political gains overriding long-term governance considerations.
- Telangana movement in the 2000s witnessed prolonged political mobilisation.
4. Inter-state disputes:
- Boundary and capital disputes such as Chandigarh between Punjab and Haryana.
- River water conflicts intensified after bifurcation as seen Krishna water dispute post-Telangana.
Conclusion:
State reorganisation in India reflects a dynamic and accommodative federalism that balances unity with diversity. As B.R. Ambedkar envisioned, India’s federation remains “indestructible,” but its strength lies in its ability to adapt responsibly to regional aspirations.
‘+1’Value Addition:
- India had 14 states and 6 UTs in 1956 while today it has 28 states and 8 UTs.
- Himachal Pradesh achieved literacy rate above 80%, attributed partly to manageable administrative scale.
- North-Eastern States Reorganisation Act, 1971 significantly reduced insurgency intensity over decades.
- Article 371 (A–J) reflects asymmetric federalism accommodating regional diversity.
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