10 Evolution of States and Union Territories
Integration of Princely States :- The Indian Independence Act (1947) created two independent and separate dominions of India and Pakistan and gave three options to the princely states viz., joining India, joining Pakistan or remaining independent. Of the 552 princely states situated within the geographical boundaries of India, 549 joined India and the remaining 3 (Hyderabad, Junagarh and Kashmir) refused to join India. However, in course of time, they were also integrated with India-Hyderabad by means of police action, Junagarh by means of referendum and Kashmir by the Instrument of Accession.
Dhar Commission and JVP Committee :- The integration of princely states with the rest of India has purely and ad hoc arrangement. There has been a demand from different regions, particularly South India, for reorganisation of states on linguistic basis. Accordingly, in June 1948, the Government of India appointed the Linguistic Provinces Commission under the chairmanship of S K Dhar to examine the feasibility of this. The commission submitted its report in December 1948 and recommended the reorganisation of states on the basis of administrative convenience rather than linguistic factor. This created much resentment and led to the appointment of another Linguistic Provinces Committee by the Congress in December 1948 itself to examine the whole question afresh. It consisted of Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallahbhai Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramayya and hence, was popularly known as JVP Committee. It submitted its report in April 1949 and formally rejected language as the basis for reorganisation of states.
However, in October 1953, the Government of India was forced to create the first linguistic state, known as Andhra state, by separating the Telugu speaking areas from the Madras state. This followed a prolonged popular agitation and the death of Potti Sriramulu, a Congress person of standing, after a 56 day hunger strike for the cause.
Fazi Ali Commission :- The creation of Andhra state intensified the demand from other regions for creation of states on linguistic basis. This forced the Government of India to appoint (in December 1953) a three-member States Reorganisation Commission under the chairmanship of Fazi Ali to reexamine the whole question. Its other two members were K M Panikkar and H N Kunzru. It submitted its report in September 1955 and broadly accepted language as the basis of reorganisation of states. But, it rejected the theory of 'one language-one state'.
Gujarat :- Gujarat was established as the 15th state of the Indian Union in the year 1960.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli :- The Portuguese ruled this territory until its liberation in 1954. Subsequently, the administration was carried on till 1961 by an administrator chosen by the people themselves. It was converted into a union territory of India by the 10th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1961.
Goa, Daman and Diu :- India acquired these three territories from the Portuguese by means of a police action in 1961. They were constituted as a union territory by the 12th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1962.
Pondicherry :- The territory of Pondicherry comprises the former French establishments in India known as Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. The French handed over this territory to India in 1954. Subsequently, it was administered as an 'acquired territory', till 1962 when it was made a union territory by the 14th Constitutional Amendment Act.
Nagaland :- In 1963, the State of Nagaland was formed by taking the Naga Hills and Tuensang area out of the state of Assam. This was done to satisfy the movement of the hostile Nagas. However, before giving Nagaland the status of the 16th state of the Indian Union, it was placed under the control of the governor of Assam in 1961.
Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya :- In 1972, the political map of Northeast India underwent a major change. Thus, the two Union Territories of Manipur and Tripura and the Sub-State of Meghalaya got statehood and the two Union Territories of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh (originally known as North-East Frontier Agency NEFA) came into being. With this, the number of states of the Indian Union increased to 21 (Manipur 19th, Tripura 20th and Meghalaya 21st). Initially, the 22nd Constitutional Amendment Act (1969) created Meghalaya as an 'autonomous state' or 'sub-state' within the state of Assam with its own legislature and council of ministers. However, this did not satisfy the aspirations of the people of Meghalaya. The Union Territories of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh were also formed out of the territories of Assam.
Sikkim :- Till 1947, Sikkim was an Indian princely state ruled by Chogyal. In 1947, after the lapse of British paramountcy, Sikkim became a 'protectorate' of India, whereby the Indian Government assumed responsibility for the defence, external affairs and communications of Sikkim. In 1974, Sikkim expressed its desire for greater association with India. Accordingly, the 35th Constitutional Amendment Act (1974) was enacted by the parliament.
Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa :- In 1987, three new States of Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa came into being as the 23rd, 24th and 25th states of the Indian Union respectively. The Union Territory of Mizoram was conferred the status of a full state as a sequel to the signing of a memorandum of settlement (Mizoram Peace Accord) in 1986 between the Central government and the Mizo National Front, ending the two-decade-old insurgency. Arunachal Pradesh had also been a union territory from 1972. The State of Goa was created by separating the territory of Goa from the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu.
Chattisgarh (01-11-2000), Uttaranchal (09-11-2000) and Jharkhand (15-11-2000) :- In 2000, three more new States of Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand were created out of the territories of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively. These became the 26th, 27th and 28th states of the Indian Union respectively. Thus, the number of states and union territories increased from 14 and 6 in 1956 to 28 and 7 in 2000 respectively.
Telangana (02-06/2014) :- Hyderabad will remain as the joint capital of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a period, not more than 10 years after that period Hyderabad shall be the capital of the State of Telangana and there shall be a new capital for the State of Andhra Pradesh. K Chandrasekhar Rao to be sworn in as its first chief minister. K Chandrasekhar Rao took oath of office on Monday morning as the first chief minister of Telangana, India's 29th state. ESL Narasimhan takes oath as first Governor of Telangana. Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta administered the oath to Narasimhan, who will be the common Governor to Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh. In Telangana, the Vidhan Sabha, or Legislative Assembly, has 119 constituenciesThe Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States' ') is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Telangana elects 7 seats and they are indirectly elected by the state legislators of Telangana.
Jammu and Kashmir (09-08-2019):- Amendment in Article 370 with Evolution of new Union Territories
Article 370 was inserted in the constitution of India in part XXI as temporary provisions with respect to the state of J&K. It shows that it was inserted for a short term and it may be repealed or abrogated or modified in accordance with the situations in the state when need arises to repeal this Article.
On the 6th day of August, 2019 by the Presidential Order with Declaration under Article 370 (3) of the Constitution of India  special status of J&K has ended. With this amendment, the state of J&K became an integral part of India in a practical manner. The de-operationalization of article 370 converted the State of J&K into Union Territory of J&K and Union Territory of Ladakh in the mainstream. Mainly it has given relief to Ladakh, which was an isolated part of India. By this amendment development of U T of Ladakh can be easily possible
Reorganisation of States Year wise Table
1953 : 1st linguistic State, Andhra Pradesh, created.
1956 : States Reorganisation Act passed. Thus the 4-fold distribution of States was replaced by 14 States and 6 Union Territories. Kerala and Karnataka Created.
1960 : Bifurcation of the Bombay State into Maharashtra and Gujarat (15th State)
1962 : State of Nagaland formed
1966 : The State of Punjab was split into the State of Punjab, State of Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh.
1969 : Meghalaya was made a Sub- State within Assam.
1970 : H.P. was upgraded from Union Territory to a State.
1971 : Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya were made into States and Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh as Union Territories.
1975 : Sikkim was admitted as 22nd State.
1986 : Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh were made into States.
1987 : Goa became the 25th (smallest) State.
2000 : Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand formed by the Constitutional amendment act 2000 by dividing Madhya Pradesh, UP and Bihar respectively in November 2000.
2014 : The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, popularly known as the Telangana Act is an Act of Indian Parliament that bifurcated the state of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and the residuary Andhra Pradesh state, due to the Telangana movement.
2019 : The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 is an act of the Parliament of India. It contains provisions to reconstitute the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, one to be eponymously called Jammu and Kashmir, and the other Ladakh.
