Justify the bases of State Reorganization Since 2000 and explain the consequences with examples. ~ Civil Services Self Study

Question.

Justify the bases of State Reorganization Since 2000 and explain the consequences with examples. ( 63rd BPSC, 2019)

Answer.

Since 2000, the following four new states were formed:

Basis of State Reorganization from 2000 onwards:

Following are the main grounds of state reorganization since 2000:

Uneven Growth and Economic Backwardness:

Due to the lack of hill-centric development in Uttarakhand, there was a lack of basic infrastructure, and dissatisfaction among the people increased, and to overcome this discontent, the hilly region of Uttar Pradesh was separated and the Uttarakhand state was formed.
The states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Telangana were very rich in terms of natural resources, but the economic development in these areas was not happening like other areas of the state and due to this a separate state had to be created.

Separate Identity or Cultural Ignorance:

Tribals have their own culture and their culture was not getting recognition in Bihar earlier, due to which there was a feeling of dissatisfaction among the people.
On the basis of separate identity to the tribal, the state of Jharkhand was created by separating the tribal area from Bihar.
Another reason for separating Uttarakhand was cultural ignorance that was earlier seen in the government of Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh government used to promote the culture of Mughal, which had nothing to do with the culture of Uttarakhand, due to which there was a feeling of discontent among the hill people.

Increasing social tension due to demographic changes:

One of the main reasons for the formation of Telangana was the increase in the number of people from the coastal areas to the Telangana regions due to the increasing social tension among the people.

Consequences of State Reorganization:

Positive Result:

According to the Economic Survey of India 2016-17, smaller states do more business than the rest and it provides better opportunities for business and also have efficient administration. For example, since its formation, Telangana has topped in ease of doing business ranking.
Smaller states are more politically stable. For example, the Jharkhand and Bihar regions have not seen any major political instability or strike since the creation of Jharkhand.

Negative consequences:

Small states are not financially strong as they do not have many resources and markets to generate revenue. For example, the state of Uttarakhand is financially weak to deal with the disaster.
Territorial disputes such as sharing of river waters increase. For example, the water sharing dispute between Telangana and Andhra over the Krishna River.
The creation of smaller states does not guarantee development. For example, the states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have not made much progress since their creation.

Civil Services Self Study