26 October: linguistic states
Monday 26 October 2026
GS Paper 1 · 250 words · 15 marks
Linguistic reorganization of Indian States was driven by popular pressure from below. Comment.
(UPSC Mains 2026, GS Paper 1, Q12)
You have eleven minutes. Write your answer before you read anything below.
Open only after you have written
How to approach this question
The directive. Comment asks how far the statement holds. Agree in part, and show where the Centre still had control.
A shape that works in 250 words.
| Part | Words | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | 35 | Your position: largely true, with a limit |
| Point 1 | 40 | The Centre was reluctant at first |
| Point 2 | 60 | The movements that forced its hand |
| Point 3 | 50 | How the Centre shaped the outcome |
| Point 4 | 25 | Who led the movements |
| Conclusion | 40 | Your judgement, and a way forward |
Material you can use.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1920 | Congress Nagpur session backs linguistic provinces |
| 1948 | Dar Commission advises against linguistic states for now |
| 1949 | JVP Committee (Nehru, Patel, Pattabhi Sitaramayya) advises delay |
| 1952 | Potti Sriramulu dies after a 58-day fast for Andhra |
| 1953 | Andhra State formed. States Reorganisation Commission appointed |
| 1956 | States Reorganisation Act: 14 states and 6 union territories |
| 1960 | Bombay State divided into Maharashtra and Gujarat |
| 1966 | Punjab and Haryana created after the Punjabi Suba movement |
Mistakes to avoid.
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| A timeline with no judgement | Say in each point what it shows about who drove the change |
| Agreeing fully | Show that the Centre controlled timing and boundaries |
| Ending on national unity in general terms | End on how future demands for states should be settled |
A model answer
The statement is largely correct. Mass movements forced a reluctant Centre to create linguistic states. The Centre still controlled the timing and the boundaries.
A reluctant Centre. The Congress had backed linguistic provinces since its Nagpur session of 1920. After Partition, its leaders feared further division. The Dar Commission (1948) and the JVP Committee (1949) both advised delay.
Pressure from below. Potti Sriramulu fasted for a separate Andhra state and died in December 1952. Protests followed, and Andhra State was formed in October 1953. The Samyukta Maharashtra movement forced the division of Bombay State into Maharashtra and Gujarat in 1960. The Punjabi Suba movement led to Punjab and Haryana in 1966.
Control from above. The Centre appointed the States Reorganisation Commission under Fazl Ali in 1953. It rejected "one language, one state" as the only test, and weighed unity, finance and administration too. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 created 14 states and 6 union territories. The Centre kept Bombay bilingual until 1960, despite protests.
Who led the movements. Regional leaders, Congress units and the Communists organised many of them. Popular feeling was real, but it was channelled by parties.
Popular pressure started each round of reorganisation. The Centre decided when it happened and where the lines fell. Demands for new states continue. A standing commission with published criteria could settle them before they turn violent.
Word count: 225.
| Where | What earns credit |
|---|---|
| Opening | A judgement, with its limit, in three lines |
| Body | Each point has a named event and a year |
| Conclusion | It weighs both sides and proposes a mechanism |