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MAINS 2016
GS1
12.5 marks

Has the formation of linguistic States strengthened the cause of Indian Unity?

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9 min
200 words
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What the examiner wants

Judge whether reorganising states on linguistic lines has strengthened or weakened Indian unity.

Has...Answer exactly what the question asks.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1Background: early fears (Dhar Commission, JVP Committee), Potti Sriramulu's death and Andhra 1953, SRC and the 1956 Act≈35 words
  2. 2Strengthened: met regional aspirations, defused secessionism (DMK dropped demand), better administration in local language, federal trust≈35 words
  3. 3Concerns: sons-of-soil politics, river and border disputes (Belagavi), demands for new states≈35 words
  4. 4Verdict: unity through accommodation of diversity≈35 words

Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.

Answer plan

ContextEarly fearsArguments for strengtheningProblemsBalanced verdict

Where marks usually go

  • Only narrating the history of reorganisation
  • No clear yes/no answer

Draw this

  • Timeline: 1948 Dhar → 1953 Andhra → 1956 SRA → 1960 Bombay split → 1966 Punjab

Value addition

  • CommitteeStates Reorganisation Commission (Fazl Ali, report 1955) accepted language as a basis but rejected 'one language one state'; the 1956 Act created 14 states and 6 UTs.SRC 1955; SR Act 1956
  • CommitteeJVP Committee (Nehru, Patel, Sitaramayya, 1949) advised postponing linguistic states citing unity.JVP Committee, 1949
  • Law16th Amendment (1963) allowed reasonable restrictions on free speech for sovereignty and integrity, after which the DMK gave up its secession demand.Constitution (16th Amendment) Act, 1963

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