Historical Examples of State Formation and Their Dates

India's internal map has been reorganized multiple times since independence in 1947. Here are some of the most significant examples of state formation and reorganization.

• States Reorganisation Act (1956): This was the single largest reorganization. Based on the Fazl Ali Commission report, it redrew the map on linguistic lines, creating 14 states and 6 Union Territories on November 1, 1956. This act formed states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka (then Mysore).
• Bombay Reorganisation Act (1960): The state of Bombay was divided into two new states based on language:
  • Maharashtra (for Marathi speakers)
  • Gujarat (for Gujarati speakers) - Formed on May 1, 1960.
• State of Nagaland Act (1962): Carved out of Assam, Nagaland became a state on December 1, 1963.
• Punjab Reorganisation Act (1966): Following demands for a Punjabi-speaking state, the state of Punjab was trifurcated:
  • Punjab (Punjabi-speaking)
  • Haryana (Hindi-speaking) - Formed on November 1, 1966.
  • Chandigarh (became a Union Territory and joint capital).
• Formation of North-Eastern States (1972): The North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971, upgraded several territories:
  • Meghalaya
  • Manipur
  • Tripura - All became full states on January 21, 1972.
• States Formed in 2000: Three new states were created for better administration and to recognize regional demands:
  • Chhattisgarh (from Madhya Pradesh) - November 1, 2000.
  • Uttarakhand (from Uttar Pradesh) - November 9, 2000.
  • Jharkhand (from Bihar) - November 15, 2000.
• Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (2014): The most recent new state formation:
  • Telangana (carved from Andhra Pradesh) - June 2, 2014.
• Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act (2019): A unique case where a state was reorganized into two Union Territories:
  • UT of Jammu & Kashmir
  • UT of Ladakh - Effective from October 31, 2019.