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Subject: States Reorganization

  • Parliament clears renaming of Kerala to “Keralam”

    Why in the News

    Both Houses passed a Bill to rename Kerala as “Keralam”, its name in Malayalam. The change follows two resolutions of the Kerala Assembly and routes through the constitutional process for altering a state’s name.

    How is a state renamed under the Constitution?

    1. Parliament’s power: Under Article 3, Parliament can alter the name of a state by law.
    2. Presidential referral: Such a Bill needs the President’s recommendation and the views of the affected state legislature.
    3. Simple majority: The change is passed by ordinary legislative majority, not a constitutional amendment.

    Why “Keralam”?

    1. Linguistic identity: “Keralam” is the state’s name in Malayalam, and the change aligns official usage with local usage.
    2. Assembly resolutions: The Kerala Assembly twice sought the change unanimously.

    Why does the process matter?

    1. Union primacy: Only Parliament, not the state, can effect the legal renaming.
    2. Federal courtesy: The state legislature’s view is sought, but its resolution is not binding.

    Back2Basics: Article 3 of the Constitution

    1. Scope: Formation of new states and alteration of areas, boundaries, or names of existing states.
    2. Initiation: Only on the President’s recommendation, after seeking the state legislature’s views.
    3. Nature: Treated as an ordinary law, reflecting the “indestructible states” feature of Indian federalism.

    “[2022, GS1, 15] The political and administrative reorganization of states and territories has been a continuous ongoing process since the mid-nineteenth century. Discuss with examples.”

    [2025] Consider the following pairs :
    State:Description
    1. Arunachal Pradesh: The capital is named after a fort, and the state has two National Parks
    2. Nagaland: The State came into Existence on the basis of a Constitutional Amendment Act.
    3. Tripura: Initially a Part ‘C’ State, it became a centrally administered territory with the reorganization of State in 1956 and later attained the status of a full-fledged State
    How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

    [A] Only one

    [B] Only two

    [C] All the three

    [D] None

  • Parliament passes Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 renaming State Keralam

    Why in the news?

    Parliament passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, renaming the State Keralam and amending the First Schedule of the Constitution. The Rajya Sabha cleared the Bill by voice vote, over two years after the State Assembly unanimously resolved for the change. The measure has surfaced pending name change proposals from other States, including West Bengal’s request to become Bangla.

    How is a State renamed under the Constitution?

    1. Article 3 power: Parliament may by law alter the name of a State, and such a bill can be introduced only on the recommendation of the President.
    2. State legislature reference: The President must refer the bill to the concerned State legislature for its views within a specified period, though those views are not binding.
    3. First Schedule amendment: Renaming requires an amendment to the First Schedule, which lists the States and Union Territories, effected under Article 4 as an ordinary law.

    What is the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026?

    1. Core change: The Bill changes the name of the State from Kerala to Keralam and makes the consequential amendment to the First Schedule.
    2. Origin: It continues the Kerala Assembly’s 2024 resolution urging the Union government to rename the State Keralam.
    3. Passage: The Lok Sabha passed it on Tuesday and the Rajya Sabha by voice vote on Wednesday, with all MPs supporting the rename.

    What is the current status of State name changes in India?

    1. Precedents: Madras became Tamil Nadu, and several States and cities have been renamed over the decades.
    2. Pending proposals: West Bengal’s proposal to become Bangla has been pending for eight years, and members sought renaming of other States, cities and railway stations.
    3. Ordinary majority: A First Schedule amendment for renaming is passed as an ordinary law, not requiring the special majority reserved for other constitutional amendments.
    4. Linguistic basis: Keralam is the Malayalam name of the State, and the change reflects respect for regional language identity.

    Constitutional provisions related to State renaming:

    1. Article 3: Empowers Parliament to form new States and to alter areas, boundaries or names of existing States.
    2. Article 4: Provides that laws under Articles 2 and 3, including consequential First Schedule and Fourth Schedule amendments, are not deemed constitutional amendments under Article 368.
    3. First Schedule: Lists the States and Union Territories and their territories, amended to record the new name.
    4. Article 3 proviso: Requires presidential recommendation and reference to the State legislature before introduction.

    What does the Bill do procedurally?

    1. Amends the First Schedule: Substitutes Keralam for Kerala in the constitutional list of States.
    2. Consequential amendments: Makes the necessary changes so that references in law read as Keralam.
    3. Voice vote clearance: Passed in the Upper House by voice vote with cross party support during the Monsoon Session.

    How does renaming differ from creating or altering a State?

    1. Name only: Renaming changes only the label, leaving territory, boundaries and administrative structure intact.
    2. Same Article, different effect: Article 3 covers both renaming and territorial reorganisation, but renaming carries no boundary or population change.
    3. No special majority: Both are enacted by simple majority under Article 4, unlike amendments under Article 368.

    What are the major debates surrounding State renaming?

    1. Federal courtesy: Members urged that the Union work closely with States and respect regional languages, framing the change within cooperative federalism.
    2. Pending parity: The eight year delay on West Bengal’s Bangla proposal raised the question of consistent and timely treatment of State requests.
    3. Symbolic versus substantive: One member argued the Centre should change its behaviour on disaster funding, not just the name, contrasting symbolic recognition with substantive support.

    Conclusion: Parliament has passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, renaming the State Keralam and amending the First Schedule under Article 3. The change gives effect to the Kerala Assembly’s 2024 resolution and reflects the State’s Malayalam identity. The next step is presidential assent, after which the First Schedule stands amended.

    Back2Basics: First Schedule and States reorganisation

    1. First Schedule: Lists the 28 States and 8 Union Territories with their territorial extents.
    2. States Reorganisation Act, 1956: Reorganised State boundaries largely on linguistic lines, the framework within which Kerala was formed.
    3. Renaming precedents: Madras to Tamil Nadu (1969), Mysore to Karnataka (1973), Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand (2007), and Orissa to Odisha (2011).
    4. Process anchor: Article 3 read with Article 4 governs formation, alteration and renaming of States.

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

  • Discuss whether the formation of new states in recent times is beneficial or not for the economy of India.

    Formation of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand in 2000, Telangana in 2014, and the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 were driven by demands for administrative efficiency, regional development, identity recognition, and better governance.

    Benefits of new state formation for the economy of India

    Higher growth rate – Eg- Uttarakhand’s economy has grown over 20 times in size in 23 years

    Balanced regional development – Addresses neglect of backward regions within larger states. Eg- Uttarakhand focused on hill infrastructure and tourism-led growth.

    Improved capital expenditure prioritization – Eg- Telangana increased irrigation spending through projects like Kaleshwaram.

    Fiscal focus on local needs – Eg- Hill-area connectivity in Uttarakhand vs plains-focused spending earlier.

    Better resource utilization –

    Telangana focused on IT and Pharma, leading to a GSDP share increase from 4.1% in 2014 to nearly 5% of national GDP by 2024-25.

    Jharkhand (40% of India’s mineral wealth) and Chhattisgarh significantly improved their mining and steel output post-formation.

    Employment generation – Eg- New state secretariats, universities, and agencies creating jobs.

    Competitive federalism gains – States innovate to attract investment. Eg- Telangana’s TS-iPASS single-window clearance system.

    Urban growth engines – New capitals stimulate construction and services. Eg- Development of Amravati in Andhra Pradesh.

    Administrative efficiency – reduced the “distance” between the government and the governed lead to faster and efficient decision-making. Eg- improved PDS coverage in Chhattisgarh.

    Counter-arguments – drawbacks for the economy of India

    Revenue dependence – New states rely heavily on central transfers.

    Uneven development within new states – Eg- Tribal belts in Chhattisgarh remain underdeveloped.

    Fragmentation of the national market – Eg- Different state-level compliances increasing transaction costs.

    Inter-state disputes over resources – Water, power, and assets become contentious. Eg- Krishna-Godavari water disputes between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

    High administrative costs –

    Creation of capitals, assemblies, and cadres strains finances. Eg- creation of Amravati

    Increase in per-unit costs of administration due to duplication of departments.

    Over-Administration also fuels corruption. Eg- Pooja Singhal case

    Weak institutional capacity – New administrations take time to mature. Eg- Staffing shortages and governance gaps in Uttarakhand.

    No automatic growth guarantee – Outcomes depend on governance quality. Eg- political instability in states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh deter long-term foreign investment.

    Environmental Degradation- Eg- industrialization and urbanization has led to disasters like the 2013 Kedarnath floods and 2023 Joshimath subsidence – High economic losses

    Way Forward

    Formation 2nd state reorganisation commission as suggested by Sudha Pai

    Strengthening cooperative federalism through Inter-state council – mandatory meetings and enforcement powers

    Strengthening fiscal federalism – Eg- state representation in Finance commission

    New state formation should be guided by objective economic criteria and robust transition planning to ensure that political reorganization strengthens economic growth.

  • The political and administrative reorganization of states and territories has been a continuous ongoing process since the mid-nineteenth century. Discuss with examples.

    The reorganisation of states and territories in India has been a dynamic process shaped by administrative efficiency, linguistic identity, cultural aspirations, and political considerations.

    Reorganisation Under British Rule (Mid-19th Century onwards)

    Provinces were created for administrative convenience, not cultural or linguistic coherence. Eg- Bengal Presidency included Bengal, Bihar, Orissa – too large to govern efficiently.

    Partition of Bengal (1905) by Lord Curzon along communal lines – reversed in 1911 due to Swadeshi agitation.

    Separation of Sindh from Bombay Presidency (1936) and creation of Orissa Province (1936).

    Post-Independence Reorganisation

    Integration of Princely States (1947-50)

    565 princely states merged into the Indian Union through instruments of accession and mergers.

    Rajasthan formed from 19 princely states, Madhya Bharat from Central Indian states.

    Linguistic Reorganisation

    Dhar Commission (1948) & JVP Committee (1949) opposed linguistic reorganisation.

    States Reorganisation Commission (SRC, 1956) under Fazl Ali recommended reorganisation on linguistic basis.

    States Reorganisation Act (1956) created 14 states and 6 union territories.

    Subsequent Reorganisations

    Bombay split into Maharashtra and Gujarat (1960) after Samyukta Maharashtra Movement

    Punjab trifurcated into Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh (1966) on linguistic basis

    Northeastern states carved out – Nagaland (1963), Meghalaya (1972), Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura.

    Goa became a state in 1987 after liberation from Portuguese rule (1961).

    Recent Reorganisations

    Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand created in 2000 from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh respectively – driven by demands for better governance and tribal identity.

    Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 after prolonged agitation.

    Union Territory Changes

    Reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir into two UTs (2019) under Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act.

    Ladakh was created as a separate UT (2019).

    However, continuous demands for new states (Vidarbha, Gorkhaland, Bodoland) indicate the process remains ongoing.

    The reorganisation of states reflects India’s capacity for democratic accommodation of diverse aspirations within a federal framework.