7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956

The Indian Constitution’s Seventh Amendment Act, 1956 was passed to solve the problem of state reorganization in India, which is primarily caused by linguistic/language and cultural reasons. India had a number of provinces and princely states before it gained its independence in 1947. Demands for the reorganization of states to better reflect the diversity of languages and cultures across the nation arose as a result of the previous administrative boundaries’ inconsistent alignment with linguistic and cultural regions. For instance, Karnataka was created for Kannada speakers, Tamil Nadu for Tamil speakers, and Kerala for Malayalam speakers.

What is the 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution, 1956?

The Seventh Amendment Act of 1956 was an important turning point in the history of the country since it made it possible to reorganize Indian states along linguistic lines. The preservation of language and cultural identities, improved governance, focused regional development and the encouragement of local leadership were all advantages of the reorganization.

The main purpose of the 7th Amendment Act was to restructure the states which were organized according to the Constitution of India adopted in 1950. According to the 7th Amendment Act, state A and State B were recognized as ‘State’, and State C and State D were recognized as ‘union territories’.

7th Amendment Act, 1956 promoted the appointment of the same person as a governor for two or more states.

Why 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution was Formed?

There are many famous people involved who supported this Act. Some of them are- Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Potti Sreeramulu, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Feroze Gandhi and many others. This Act was formed due to some of the reasons stated below:

1. Demand for Linguistic States: After India gained independence in 1947, there was an increase in linguistic communities’ aspirations for the establishment of states based on their respective languages.
2. Potti Sreeramulu’s Sacrifice: A well-known social activist named Potti Sreeramulu made the ultimate sacrifice by going on a hunger strike to call for the establishment of a separate Telugu-speaking Andhra state.
3. Public Approach: Support for linguistic states was greatly aided by grassroots movements and public opinion in India’s many linguistic areas.
4. Administrative Effectiveness: Reorganizing states according to their respective languages was thought to increase administrative effectiveness. States with populations who speak the same language were thought to have better communication, better government, and a shared cultural identity.

Major Provisions of the 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution

1. Reorganization of States: The primary purpose of the amendment was to reorganize states in India along linguistic lines.
2. Renaming of States: The amendment led to the renaming of certain states to reflect the linguistic and cultural identities of the people residing there.
3. Abolition of Part B States: The classification of states as Part A, Part B, and Part C was abolished.
4. Redefining Union Territories: The amendment also redefined the status and administration of certain Union Territories to better reflect the changing political and administrative landscape of the country.

Impact of the 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution

There are many states on which this Act impacted a lot. Some of them are:

1. Andhra Pradesh: This state was established specifically for Telugu people.
2. Karnataka: The previous state of Mysore was reorganized to create the state of Karnataka for Kannada-speaking people.
3. Haryana: A separate state for people of the Hindi language, Haryana was created from the old state of Punjab.
4. West Bengal: During the reorganization, the Darjeeling district was moved from Bihar to West Bengal.
5. Bombay (now Gujarat and Maharashtra): The formerly Bombay State was split into the states of Gujarat for Gujarati people and Maharashtra for Marathi people.

Articles amended in the 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution

Several articles were amended due to the Seventh Amendment Act. These include:

1. Article 1: This article has been updated to reflect the changes as the names and territory of the newly created states were adjusted by the Seventh Amendment.
2. Eighth Schedule: The reorganization of states along linguistic lines led to the addition of new languages in the Eighth Schedule that reflects the linguistic diversity of the newly formed states.
3. Article 4: Article 4 was amended to provide the President of India with the authority to make regulations for the peace and good government of the reorganized states.

Articles newly inserted by 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution

Several new articles were inserted into the Constitution to accommodate the changes and to provide the legal framework for the creation of new states. This includes:

1. Article 3A: This provision gave the President the authority to form a State Reorganization Commission to look into the matter and offer suggestions for the reorganization of states.
2. Article 4A: The President had the power to specify the composition, duties, and rules for the State Reorganization Commission, and to establish the guidelines for dividing up assets, obligations and resources among the newly created states.
3. Article 4B: The State Reorganization Commission may make recommendations for the reorganization of states based on a variety of circumstances, which the President may define.

Articles Substituted in 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution

Several articles were substituted to accommodate the changes and the creation of new states. This includes:

1. Article 2: This Amendment substituted the original Article 2 to enable the Parliament to admit new states or areas that were created as a result of the reorganization of states.
2. Article 3: This Amendment substituted this article to specifically address the formation of new states and alteration of boundaries based on linguistic and cultural considerations.

Advantages of 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution

1. Preservation of Culture and Language: States were now more likely to have populations that spoke the same language, allowing for the preservation and promotion of regional languages, customs and cultural heritage.
2. Effective Governance: The amendment attempted to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of governance by putting persons who spoke the same language in the same state.
3. Education Promotion: The reorganization made it easier to promote education in regional languages, which was crucial for maintaining linguistic and cultural diversity.
4. National Integration: By recognizing the reasonable needs and aspirations of linguistic communities, this Act helped to promote national integration.

Criticisms of 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution

1. Resource Allocation: The reorganization resulted in disagreements and difficulties with the fair distribution of resources, such as money, infrastructure and natural resources.
2. Inter-State Conflicts: The redistribution of disputed land or resources was a common cause of inter-state conflict once state boundaries were altered.
3. Complexity in Governance: With more regional organizations, coordination and decision-making at the national level may become more difficult.
4. Cultural and linguistic variety: Some republics still had numerous linguistic and cultural groupings, which created problems with respect to internal diversity.

Conclusion

The Seventh Amendment Act serves as a reminder of India’s resolve to striking a balance between unity and diversity, despite its criticisms and difficulties.

FAQs on 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution

1. Who were the prominent personalities involved in the introduction of the Seventh Amendment Act?

There were many famous people involved in introducing this Act, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and many others.

2. What role has India’s post-independence history played in the historical relevance of the Seventh Amendment Act?

The Act is a crucial turning point in India’s post-independence history and reflects the country’s dedication to encouraging regional development while protecting national unity and accepting linguistic and cultural diversity within its federal structure.

3. Did the Seventh Amendment Act result in the formation of only brand-new states, or did it also have an impact on the existing states?

Due to this Act, many states boundaries were altered to create new ones. So, both the old and new states were highly affected by this Seventh Amendment Act.

4. Name 3 states on which the Seventh Amendment Act was applied.

The state of Karnataka was created for Kannada speakers, Tamil Nadu for Tamil speakers and Kerala for Malayalam speakers.