Shah Commission recommended Punjab creation in 1966
Q. Who recommended formation of unilingual state of Punjab for the Punjabi speaking people?- Published on 17 Feb 17a. Shah Commission
b. Fazl Ali Commission
c. JVP Commission
d. Dhar Commission
ANSWER: Shah Commission
- Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh-
1. There was a demand for a separate ‘Sikh Homeland’ (Punjabi Subha) raised by the Akali Dal under the leadership of Master Tara Singh.
2. On the recommendation of the Shah Commission (1966), the punjabi- speaking areas of State of Punjab were combined into a unilingual state of Punjab, the Hindi-speaking areas were merged into the State of Haryana and the hill areas were merged with the neighboring union territory of Himachal Pradesh.
3. In 1966, Punjab gave rise to Haryana, the 17th state of the Indian Union, and the union territory of Chandigarh.
4. In 1971, the union territory of Himachal Pradesh was made the 18th state of the Indian Union.
- Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya-
1. In 1972, Union Territories of Manipur and Tripura and the Sub-State of Meghalaya became states (North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971, with effect from January 21, 1972).
2. Also, the two union territories of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh (originally known as North-East Frontier Agency-NEFA) came into being.
3. Total states of the Indian Union became 21.
4. Manipur was 19th, Tripura 20thand Meghalaya 21st.
5. The 22nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1969 created Meghalaya as an ‘autonomous state’ or ‘sub-state’ within the state of Assam.
6. It had its own legislature and council of ministers.
7. The union territories of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh were also carved out of the territories of Assam.
