Under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, how many states were created?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:

The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was a monumental piece of legislation in the history of independent India. Its primary goal was to reorganize the boundaries of Indian states based predominantly on linguistic lines, following the recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) headed by Fazal Ali. Before 1956, the states were classified into four categories: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D, a system that was seen as arbitrary and inefficient. The passing of the Act, along with the simultaneous implementation of the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956, abolished this four-fold classification entirely. When the Act came into effect on November 1, 1956, it restructured the political map of India, resulting in the creation of **14 states** and 6 union territories. This reorganization was a foundational step in establishing the current linguistic-based federal structure of India. The new states included Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Bombay, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Mysore, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, marking a historic and successful attempt to address regional and linguistic demands.

The incorrect option is 1 (12):

The number 12 is factually incorrect regarding the immediate outcome of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. Had the number been 12, it would have left significant parts of the former Part A, B, and C states outside the reorganization framework or resulted in the consolidation of certain major linguistic regions into existing states, contrary to the linguistic principle adopted by the government. The Fazal Ali Commission had recommended 16 states, but the government ultimately passed the Act creating 14 states, demonstrating that 12 was too low a number for the comprehensive restructuring undertaken.

The incorrect option is 3 (16):

The number 16 is incorrect, although it has historical relevance to the process of state reorganization. The States Reorganisation Commission (SRC), which provided the blueprint for the Act, had originally recommended the creation of 16 states and 3 union territories. However, the Parliament modified the SRC's recommendations before passing the Act. Therefore, while 16 was the initial recommendation by the Commission, it was not the number of states finally created under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.

The incorrect option is 4 (18):

The number 18 is also incorrect. This figure represents the number of states in India much later in its history, not the initial reorganization in 1956. The number of states gradually increased from the original 14 as new states were carved out of existing ones based on further linguistic, cultural, and administrative demands. For example, Bombay was split into Maharashtra and Gujarat (1960), and Punjab was later divided (1966), increasing the total count well beyond 14 in subsequent years. The creation of 18 states did not occur until the 1970s, making it irrelevant to the outcome of the 1956 Act.