Post-Independence Consolidation — Practice Questions
UPSC Prelims-pattern practice questions on post-1947 consolidation with full explanations — princely states, SRC, Andhra State and the order of new States.
Questions
These are original UPSC-pattern practice questions. Attempt each one before revealing the answer.
Who among the following were members of the States Reorganisation Commission (1953–55)?
- Fazl Ali
- K.M. Panikkar
- H.N. Kunzru
- Pattabhi Sitaramayya
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Solution
The SRC was chaired by Fazl Ali, with K.M. Panikkar and H.N. Kunzru as members. Pattabhi Sitaramayya sat on the earlier JVP Committee (1948–49) with Nehru and Patel — the classic distractor.
Answer: B
Consider the following pairs:
| Princely state | Associated development |
|---|---|
| 1. Junagadh | Plebiscite in 1948 |
| 2. Hyderabad | Operation Polo |
| 3. Jammu and Kashmir | Razakars |
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Solution
Pairs 1 and 2 are correct. Junagadh held a plebiscite in February 1948; Hyderabad was integrated through Operation Polo in September 1948. The Razakars — the militia led by Qasim Razvi — operated in Hyderabad, so pair 3 is wrong.
Answer: C
Andhra State, formed on 1 October 1953 as the first State created on a linguistic basis after independence, was carved out of which State?
Solution
Andhra State was carved out of the Telugu-speaking districts of Madras State after Potti Sriramulu’s death in December 1952. The Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad State were added only on 1 November 1956, creating Andhra Pradesh.
Answer: D
Consider the following statements about the States Reorganisation Act, 1956:
- It created 14 States and 6 Union Territories.
- It divided Bombay State into Maharashtra and Gujarat.
- Together with the Seventh Amendment, it abolished the classification of States into Parts A, B, C and D.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is wrong — Bombay remained a bilingual State in 1956 and was divided only on 1 May 1960 by the Bombay Reorganisation Act, after the Samyukta Maharashtra and Mahagujarat movements.
Answer: A
Arrange the following in the chronological order of their attaining statehood:
- Mizoram
- Telangana
- Meghalaya
- Jharkhand
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Solution
Meghalaya — 1972; Mizoram — 1987; Jharkhand — November 2000; Telangana — June 2014. Order: 3-1-4-2.
Note: Meghalaya first became an autonomous State within Assam in 1970 and a full State in 1972.
Answer: A
Mains
Evaluate the role of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the integration of the princely states.
Solution
Introduction: With the lapse of paramountcy in 1947, more than 550 princely states could legally choose independence. As head of the States Department (from July 1947), with V.P. Menon as secretary, Patel led their integration.
Body:
- Diplomacy: appeals to the rulers’ patriotism; the limited Instrument of Accession (defence, external affairs, communications) made accession acceptable before 15 August 1947.
- Incentives: privy purses, retention of titles and personal property.
- Firmness: decisive handling of Junagadh (plebiscite, 1948) and Hyderabad (Operation Polo, September 1948).
- Second stage: merger agreements and unions of states, leading to Part B States under the Constitution — completing political and administrative integration.
- Limits: Kashmir was handled largely by Nehru and went to the UN; privy purses became a political burden until their abolition in 1971; popular States’ People’s movements also deserve credit.
Conclusion: Patel’s mix of persuasion and resolve achieved, within about two years, a territorial consolidation without large-scale war — the foundation on which the Constitution’s Union of States rests.