History · 7 Sep 2026

States Reorganisation Commission

With reference to the linguistic reorganisation of Indian states, consider the following statements:

  1. The JVP Committee, comprising Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramayya, recommended the immediate creation of states on linguistic lines.
  2. The States Reorganisation Commission was headed by Justice Fazl Ali, with H.N. Kunzru and K.M. Panikkar as its other members.
  3. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956, together with the Constitution's Seventh Amendment, created 14 States and 6 Union Territories.
A1 only
B2 only
C2 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
This question is based on: The Fast That Redrew India's Map - And Why That Saved It
Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 7 Sep 2026
About this question

Why in news

August 31, 2026 marked 70 years since the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 received presidential assent, prompting a constitutional-history essay revisiting how linguistic identity - once feared as a threat to unity - became the basis of India's internal map.

Why for UPSC

UPSC frequently tests whether aspirants confuse the Dar Commission (1948) and the JVP Committee (1949) with bodies that endorsed linguistic states - both actually recommended postponement, which is the "exception" a well-prepared candidate must know rather than assume from the headline outcome.

Prelims summary

The JVP Committee (1949) recommended postponing linguistic reorganisation; it was Potti Sriramulu's 1952 fast that forced the government's hand. The Fazl Ali-headed States Reorganisation Commission's report led to the 1956 Act and Seventh Amendment, creating 14 States and 6 UTs.

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