State evolution 1951-2020- Journey in brief

The British Empire expanded its hold over the Indian subcontinent via annexation of India’s disintegrated kingdoms or treaties with native princely states. Thus, when India became independent, it inherited a patchwork of princely states and British districts, which had little linguistic or cultural basis. What followed was the unfortunate partition of India, the integration of princely states, and the Congress’ long-intended reorganization of states on linguistic lines. 

The original nine provinces and 562 princely states under British India have been significantly reshaped since Independence. This process has been driven by the desires and demands of various ethnic, linguistic, and regional groups, and has taken the shape of frequent adjustments in state boundaries. The recommendations of the States Reorganization Commission (1953-55) for linguistic reorganization of the states implemented through the SRC Act, turned out to be a major milestone in creating the foundational map of modern India in 1956. 

The linguistic reorganization also created apprehensions among tribal and ethnic minorities, particularly those in erstwhile Assam. Nagaland was the first to resist linguistic reorganization. Its political agitation and demand for independence brought about the grant of statehood in 1963. Subsequent transformations in the Northeast led to the grant of statehood to Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh. Opposition to linguistic reorganization also came in the form of consolidation of regional identity. The creation of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand (2000), or the grant of statehood to Telangana in 2014 are testament to the same. Distinct from these, is the recent bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories in 2019, since it was a political move arising out of the abrogation of Article 370. 

Amidst the discussions surrounding state formation, the role of the district within state administration is often overlooked. The number of districts in India has increased by 2.53 times, between 1951-2024. In 2022, Andhra Pradesh more than doubled its number of districts (13 to 26). Rajasthan increased its number of districts from 33 to 50 in 2023 alone. The population and area of these districts also vary significantly, with Dibang Valley housing just 8,004 people (2011) and Thane district surpassing 10 million. Kachchh district in Gujarat spans over 45,000 sq. km, dwarfing the Central district of Delhi, which is spread over a mere 21 sq. km. 

This raises some intriguing questions: How did the formation of current Indian states come about? What drives the formation, splitting, or renaming of states and districts? Why are some states experiencing such rapid increases in district numbers? What will be the future of Indian states? How likely is it that in the next decade, we will witness new states? To arrive at answers to these questions and come one step closer to understanding the history of the different states and districts we belong to, we initiated the Indian State and District Evolution Project. Through this initiative we attempt to map out the administrative evolution of India, covering States, Union Territories, and Districts, from 1941 onwards, unveiling stories from the subcontinent that have remained largely untold. 

Acts related to state reorganisation & renaming