Independence in August 1947 handed India a partitioned territory, millions of refugees, more than 550 princely states free to choose their future, and provinces drawn for the convenience of a colonial administration. This chapter covers how the new State held together: the integration of princely states under Vallabhbhai Patel and V.P. Menon, the reorganisation of States on linguistic lines from Andhra (1953) to the States Reorganisation Act (1956) and later, and the wider nation-building agenda of the 1950s.

What UPSC asks. This is a Mains-heavy GS I line: “Discuss the role of Patel”, “Has linguistic reorganisation strengthened or weakened unity?”, “Evaluate the challenges of nation-building”. Prelims tests commissions and their members, the sequence of new States, and the special cases of Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir.

Sub-topic	Key dates
States Department; Instrument of Accession	July–August 1947
Junagadh, Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir	1947–1948
Dhar Commission; JVP Committee	1948–1949
Andhra State	1953
States Reorganisation Commission and Act	1953–1956
Later reorganisations	1960–2019
Elections, planning, language, tribal policy	1950s–1960s

Read the topic page first, then the revision sheet and the practice set.