List Of Indian States

States formed under linguistic basis

In 1956, under the States Reorganisation Act, states were reorganised on a linguistic basis. Since then, their structure has remained largely unchanged. Each state or union territory is further divided into administrative districts.

The Constitution distributes the sovereign powers exercisable with respect to the territory of any state between the Union and that state.

Article 73 provides that the executive power of the Union shall extend to the matters with respect to which Parliament has power to make laws.

Article 162 similarly provides that the executive power of a state shall extend to the matters with respect to which the legislature of a state has power to make laws.

The Supreme Court has reiterated this balance of equation betweenthe Centre and states when it ruled in the Ramanaiah case that the executive power of the Union or of the state broadly speaking, is coextensive and coterminous with its respective legislative power.

India is a pluralistic, multilingual, and a multi-ethnic societywith Constitution according equal importance to all religions.

The second most populous country in the world is home to diverse species of flora and fauna with rich cultural heritage dating back to centuries before the advent of Christian era (BCE).

The subcontinent has been ruled by many different ethnic groups throughout its history, each instituting their own policies of administrative division in the region.

Post-Independence Integration (1947-1950):

During the colonial period till 1947, the original administrative structure was mostly kept, and India was divided into provinces that were directly governed by the British and princely states which were nominally controlled by a local prince or raja loyalto the British Empire, who held de facto sovereignty over theprincely states.

When India became independent, it consisted of 571 princely states and British-administered provinces. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and V.P. Menon led the integration of these princely states, bringing them into the Indian Union through diplomacy and force when necessary. On January 26, 1950, India adopted its Constitution and became a Republic, organizing itself into Part A, Part B, and Part C states, along with Union Territories. However, this structure was temporary and required reorganization.

States Reorganization Act (1956):

Andhra State was created on 1 October 1953 from the Telugu-speaking northern districts of Madras State.

The French enclave of Chandernagore was transferred to West Bengal in 1954. In the same year Pondicherry, comprising the former French enclaves of Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanaon and Mahé, was transferred to India. This became a union territory in 1962.

Also in 1954, pro-India forces liberated the Portuguese-held enclaves of Dadrá and Nagar Aveli, declaring the short-lived de facto state of Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli. In 1961, India annexed it as the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli

The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 reorganised the states based on linguistic lines resulting in the creation of the new states.

As a result of this act:

• Madras State retained its name, with Kanyakumari district added to form Travancore–Cochin.
• Andhra Pradesh was created with the merger of Andhra State with the Telugu-speaking districts of Hyderabad State in 1956.
• Kerala was created by merging Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk of South Canara districts of Madras State with Travancore–Cochin.
• Mysore State was re-organised with the addition of the districts of Bellary and South Canara (excluding Kasaragod taluk) and the Kollegal taluk of Coimbatore district from the Madras State, the districts of Belgaum, Bijapur, North Canara and Dharwad from Bombay State, the Kannada-majority districts of Bidar, Raichur and Kalaburagi from Hyderabad State and the Coorg State.
• The Laccadive Islands, Aminidivi Islands and Minicoy Island, which had been divided between the South Canara and Malabar districts of Madras State, were united and organised into the union territory of Lakshadweep.
• Bombay State was enlarged by the addition of Saurashtra State and Kutch State, the Marathi-speaking districts of Nagpur division of Madhya Pradesh and the Marathwada region of Hyderabad State.
• Rajasthan and Punjab gained territories from Ajmer State and Patiala and East Punjab States Union respectively and certain territories of Bihar were transferred to West Bengal.

Further State Formations (post-1956)

The Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960 split Bombay State into Gujarat and Maharashtra on 1 May 1960 based on linguistic differences. Nagaland became a state on 1 December 1963. The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 led to the creation of Haryana on 1 November 1966, transferre