Telangana was carved out of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh with Hyderabad as its capital in 2014.
- After independence, Andhra Pradesh State was the first state to be formed based on language (in 1953 following the death of Potti Sriramulu).
- The move for a separate Telangana state was motivated by perceived regional inequality in the development.
- Article 3 has provisions for the Formation of new States and the alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States.
- Currently, there are 28 states and 8 Union territories in the country
Major factors driving the demand for new states in post-independence India
- Language: In 1953, the Central Government appointed the State Reorganization Commission (SRC) led by Justice Fazal Ali.
- It recommended forming 14 states and 6 union territories (UTs) based on factors like financial viability, national welfare, development, language, culture, etc.
- Parliament implemented these recommendations through the Constitution (7th Amendment) Act, 1956.
- Development: Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand formed in 2000 and Telangana in 2014 are examples of new states created based on the level of development.
- Other factors: For example, reorganisation of the States in the northeast was based on race, culture and customs in the northeast.
Formation of New States
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