The States Reorganization Commission (SRC) was formed under the chairmanship of Fazal Ali in 1953 to address the rising demands for the reorganization of India's states on a linguistic basis and to deal with issues related to governance and administration in the newly independent country. Several key reasons led to its formation:

1. Linguistic Movements and Demands

  • After independence, there was significant demand for the reorganization of states based on linguistic lines. People felt that states should be formed based on common language and cultural identity for better governance.
  • The Andhra Movement in particular, led by the Telugu-speaking people of the Madras Presidency, was a major trigger. The death of Potti Sriramulu in 1952, following a hunger strike for a separate Andhra state, intensified the demands for linguistic reorganization, forcing the government to act.

2. Administrative Efficiency

  • The administrative divisions inherited from the British colonial system were not cohesive. Many states were multilingual, making administration difficult due to communication barriers and regional disparities. The SRC was tasked with recommending boundaries that would ensure more efficient governance.

3. Political Stability

  • The Indian leadership, particularly Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel, were concerned about maintaining national unity and political stability. There were fears that the increasing demands for separate states could weaken the country. The SRC was an attempt to rationalize the demands for linguistic states within a structured framework.

4. Cultural and Ethnic Identity

  • Many regions had strong linguistic and cultural identities that did not align with the existing political boundaries. People in these regions sought greater representation and cultural preservation through the formation of states based on their own language.

5. Constitutional Framework

  • The Indian Constitution provided flexibility for the reorganization of states, recognizing that the initial state boundaries post-independence were not permanent. The formation of the SRC was in line with the constitutional provisions that allowed Parliament to reorganize state boundaries.

Outcomes of the Commission

  • The States Reorganization Commission Report, submitted in 1955, recommended the creation of states on linguistic lines, leading to the formation of 14 states and 6 Union Territories in 1956 under the States Reorganization Act.
  • Some of the prominent linguistic states that emerged from the reorganization include Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala.

The formation of the SRC was a crucial step in shaping modern India's political geography and addressing regional aspirations while maintaining national unity.