The States Reorganisation Commission and Linguistic States — MCQs with Answers (Set 1)

Fazl Ali chaired the commission. Kunzru and Panikkar were its members. It reported in September 1955.

The answer is examining whether states could be reorganized on a linguistic basis, the specific task assigned to the Dhar Commission (though it ultimately recommended against linguistic reorganization).

Andhra State was formed on 1 October 1953. The States Reorganisation Commission was set up afterward, in December 1953, to examine India’s state boundaries nationwide, not just Andhra’s.

Andhra State, formed on 1 October 1953 out of Madras State, was India’s first state created along linguistic lines.

Potti Sreeramulu died on 15 December 1952, after a 58-day hunger strike demanding a separate Telugu-speaking state. His death directly led to the formation of Andhra State.

The States Reorganisation Commission was headed by Justice Fazl Ali. Its recommendations led to the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

Linguistic reorganization intersected directly with the broader princely-state integration process. Many former princely territories had to be merged into the new linguistically defined states rather than remaining separate.

The state reorganization process illustrates a recurring pattern in Indian federalism. Rather than settling boundaries once and permanently, India’s internal map has been treated as an ongoing, adjustable arrangement. It has been revisited repeatedly as new political and administrative demands emerge.

The Andhra State precedent shows how sustained public pressure, including the death of activist Potti Sriramulu after a hunger strike, could force the government’s hand on an issue it had initially hoped to defer. This happened well before the formal Commission completed its work.

The decision to reorganize states along linguistic lines reflects a specific governance judgment. Recognizing linguistic identity through formal state boundaries would reduce separatist pressure, not increase it. This works by giving linguistic communities a legitimate political structure.

The States Reorganisation Commission’s recommendations led to the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. This act redrew many state boundaries primarily along linguistic lines.