The reorganisation of the provinces of India on longinstic basis had been one of the demands of the Indian National congress in the struggles against the British government. In free India, the question of reorganisation was forced up by the fast and death of Potti Sriramulus. It generated chaotic situation in the province and thus, Telugu State of Andhra Pradesh was created. In order to examine objectively and dispassionately the issue of reorganisation of states, government of India had constituted a commission namely State Reorganisation Commission in 1954 with Fazal Ali as Chairman and two other member Pt. Hridaya Nath Kuryou and Sardar K.M. Parikkar. This commission carried out indepth surveys and studies on the issue and submitted its report in September 1955 and thus, state Reorganisation Act was passed in November 1956. In persuance with the recommendations of commission, 14 states and 6 Union Territories were created.

In 1961, Bombay state was bifurcated to form the two states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. In 1962, the state of Nagaland was created thus, presently there are 28 states and 7 Union territories in India.

As per the UNDP Human Development Report, 2004 that finds place in this text book, a recommendation has been given to divide India in more states as nations or nationalities on the basis of ethnicity, religion, language or indigenous identities and thus, this report wants to see India as a democratic state-nation. It says that modern India is facing a grave challenge to its constitutional commitment to multiple and complementary identities with the rise of groups that seek to impose a singular Hindu identity on the country. Recent communal violence has raised serious concerns for the prospects for social harmony and threatenings to undermine the country's earlier achievements. It is therefore, needful that multiple and complementary identities in the form of smaller units are to be formed and protected. Such an effort will cater to India's commitment to practices of pluralism, institutional accommodation and conflict resolution through democratic means—says the report. It is hopeful that building state nations will accommodate diversity constructively by crafting reform policies of cultural recognition.