India’s territorial structure has evolved significantly since independence, with new states being formed, union territories being reorganized, and boundaries being redrawn. Below is a detailed expansion of these key changes.
1. States Reorganization Act, 1956 – Linguistic Reorganization
Before 1956 , states in India were divided based on historical and administrative reasons rather than linguistic or cultural factors.The demand for linguistic-based states became strong after the formation of Andhra Pradesh (1953) for Telugu-speaking people.
The States Reorganization Act, 1956 , reorganized the country’s map on linguistic lines , leading to:
Abolition of the four types of states (Part A, B, C, and D states).Formation of new states based on language .Integration of smaller princely states into larger administrative units.
Merging of the princely states of Hyderabad, Travancore-Cochin, and Madhya Bharat into larger linguistic states .
New States Created in 1956: Old Structure New States Formed Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, Bhopal Merged into Madhya Pradesh Travancore-Cochin & Malabar district of Madras State Merged into Kerala Hyderabad Divided among Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh Mysore State (renamed Karnataka in 1973) Formed by merging Kannada-speaking regions Bombay State (later split in 1960) Included Maharashtra & Gujarat
2. 1960 – Division of Bombay State into Maharashtra and Gujarat
Bombay State was a multi-lingual state with both Marathi and Gujarati-speaking people .Due to strong linguistic movements , Bombay State was split into two separate states :
Maharashtra (Marathi-speaking region) Gujarat (Gujarati-speaking region)
Mumbai remained the capital of Maharashtra .
The Punjab Reorganization Act, 1966 divided the state of Punjab based on linguistic and cultural differences:
Haryana was formed for Hindi-speaking people.Punjab was retained for Punjabi-speaking people.Himachal Pradesh was separated as a union territory (later became a state in 1971).
Chandigarh was declared a Union Territory and became the shared capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
4. 1975 – Sikkim Becomes the 22nd State of India
Sikkim was initially a protectorate of India (not a full-fledged state).Due to internal political instability and a referendum in 1975 , Sikkim merged into India as the 22nd state .
The 36th Constitutional Amendment granted Sikkim full statehood.
5. 1987 – Goa Becomes a State, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram
Goa, Daman & Diu were former Portuguese colonies annexed by India in 1961 .Goa remained a Union Territory until 1987 , when it was granted statehood .
Daman & Diu continued as a Union Territory (later merged with Dadra & Nagar Haveli in 2020).Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram were also granted full statehood in 1987 , after being Union Territories.
In the year 2000 , three new states were created due to regional demands:
New State Carved Out From Jharkhand Bihar Chhattisgarh Madhya Pradesh Uttarakhand (earlier Uttaranchal)Uttar Pradesh
These states were formed mainly due to economic and administrative difficulties in governing remote and tribal areas.
Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh due to long-standing demands for a separate state.Reasons for creation :
Economic disparity between Telangana and Coastal Andhra.
Telangana had distinct historical and cultural identity.
Hyderabad was declared the joint capital of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for 10 years .
8. 2019 – Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Act
The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 , passed by Parliament, abrogated Article 370 , removing the special status of Jammu & Kashmir.
Key changes:
Jammu & Kashmir was downgraded from a state to a Union Territory with a legislature .Ladakh became a separate Union Territory without a legislature .The separate Constitution of J&K was abolished .
All Indian laws were made applicable to J&K and Ladakh.
Current Structure of Indian Territory (Post-2019) As of Today:
India has 28 States and 8 Union Territories .States have their own governments .Some Union Territories (Delhi, Puducherry, J&K) have legislatures , while others are directly ruled by the Central Government.
List of 28 States (2024) State Capital Andhra Pradesh Amaravati Arunachal Pradesh Itanagar Assam Dispur Bihar Patna Chhattisgarh Raipur Goa Panaji Gujarat Gandhinagar Haryana Chandigarh Himachal Pradesh Shimla Jharkhand Ranchi Karnataka Bengaluru Kerala Thiruvananthapuram Madhya Pradesh Bhopal Maharashtra Mumbai Manipur Imphal Meghalaya Shillong Mizoram Aizawl Nagaland Kohima Odisha Bhubaneswar Punjab Chandigarh Rajasthan Jaipur Sikkim Gangtok Tamil Nadu Chennai Telangana Hyderabad Tripura Agartala Uttar Pradesh Lucknow Uttarakhand Dehradun West Bengal Kolkata
List of 8 Union Territories Union Territory Capital Andaman & Nicobar Islands Port Blair Chandigarh Chandigarh Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Daman Lakshadweep Kavaratti Delhi (NCT) New Delhi Puducherry Puducherry Jammu & Kashmir Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) Ladakh Leh
Conclusion
Since Independence, India’s territorial structure has changed multiple times due to linguistic, economic, political, and security reasons.The Parliament of India has the power to create, merge, or alter the boundaries of states and Union Territories under Articles 2, 3, and 4 .Jammu & Kashmir was the latest major territorial change , making it a Union Territory in 2019.
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