Indian Constitution
General Knowledge

Reorganization of States



Reorganization of States

»A Bill seeking to create a new State or alter boundaries of existing States can be introduced in either House of the Parliament, only on the recommendation of the President.
» President refers the State Reorganization Bill to the State Legislature concerned for its opinion, fixing a time limit.
» Parliament is not bound to accept or act upon the views of the State Legislature on a state Reorganization Bill. The State Reorganization Bill requires simple majority in both Houses of the Parliament.
» It is not necessary to obtain the views of legislatures of Union territories before a bill affecting their boundaries or names is introduced.
» The States Reorganization Act, 1956 reorganised the boundaries of different States to establish a new State of Kerala and merge the former States of Madhya Bharat, Pepsu, Saurashtra, Travancore, Cochin, Ajmer, Bhopal, Coorg, Kutch and Vindhya Pradesh in other adjoining States and thus 14 states and 6 Union Territories were established in India.
» The Bombay Reorganization Act, 1960, divided the State of Bombay to establish two States of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
» In 1962 Nagaland was created as a separate State.
» In 1966, Punjab was divided into Punjab and Haryana.
» Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh was made the State of Himachal Pradesh by an Act of 1970.
» States of Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya and Union Territories of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh were established in 1971. Later Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh achieved statehood in 1986.
» Sikkim was made part of India by 36th Amendment of the Constitution.
» In 1987 Goa was made a separate State of the Union.

» Chhattisgarh came into existence on 1st November, 2000.
» Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand) came into existence on 8th November, 2000. The State of Jharkhand, which was established on 15th November, 2000 is the newest (28th) State of India.
» The Union Government (on 30 July, 2013) gave a go ahead to create Telangana' (the proposed 29th State) bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.
» Telangana came into being on the 2nd June, 2014 and is the outcome of 15th Lok Sabha.