---
title: "States Reorganisation Act, 1956 — Definition & Meaning"
description: "The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 redefined India's boundaries based on language, creating 14 States and 6 Union Territories, impacting governance."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/states-reorganisation-act-1956"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 reconstituted India's internal boundaries on a linguistic basis, creating 14 States and 6 Union Territories and abolishing the Part A/B/C/D classification.
- Which was the first state created on a linguistic basis in India?
- What constitutional change accompanied the States Reorganisation Act, 1956?
- Who headed the States Reorganisation Commission and what were its key criteria?
- Did the 1956 Act fully settle linguistic reorganisation?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 reconstituted India's internal boundaries on a linguistic basis, creating 14 States and 6 Union Territories and abolishing the Part A/B/C/D classification.

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## Timeline

1. 16 December 1952

   The immediate trigger was the agitation in the Telugu-speaking regions of Madras State, where Potti Sriramulu died on after a 56-day fast for a separate And…

2. 1 May 1960

   The bilingual Bombay State combining Marathi and Gujarati speakers triggered the Samyukta Maharashtra and Mahagujarat movements, leading to the Bombay Reorga…

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Example

Following Potti Sriramulu's fatal fast, India enacted the States Reorganisation Act in 1956, redrawing boundaries linguistically and creating 14 States — a process Jawaharlal Nehru's government extended in 1960 by splitting Bombay into Maharashtra and Gujarat.

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