By the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, the number of states in the country was reduced from 27 to ________.

The correct answer is 14.

In News

• The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries and governance of India's states and territories.

Key Points

• The Act was enacted by the Parliament of India and came into effect on November 1, 1956.
• It was based on the recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission, headed by Fazal Ali.
• The number of states in India was reduced from 27 to 14 as a result of this Act.
• The act reorganized the boundaries of India's states and territories along linguistic lines.

Additional Information

• States Reorganisation Act, 1956
  • It was a major reform of the boundaries of India's states and territories, organizing them primarily along linguistic lines.
  • The act was implemented on November 1, 1956, and is considered one of the most important events in the history of Indian federalism.
• States Reorganisation Commission
  • It was a body constituted by the Central Government of India in 1953 to recommend the reorganization of state boundaries.
  • The commission was headed by Fazal Ali and included members H.N. Kunzru and K.M. Panikkar.
• Linguistic States
  • The concept of linguistic states involves reorganizing state boundaries so that each state is primarily composed of people who speak a common language.
  • This was intended to make governance more efficient and to reduce inter-state conflicts.
• Impact of the Act
  • The reorganization led to the creation of new states and the merging of smaller states and territories.It also set a precedent for future reorganization based on linguistic and cultural lines.