Q2
1 markMCQSection A

Which one of the following is the reason that led to the formation of Andhra state in 1952 ?

Nation-Building at a Time of Partition
Linguistic Reorganisation of States — Formation of Andhra State

Options

(A)Realising the need to reorganise the internal boundaries of Indian states at the end of colonial rule.
(B)Reorganisation of the Indian National Congress on the basis of linguistic principle after Nagpur session in 1920.
(C)Death of the Congress leader, Potti Sriramulu which caused great unrest and led to resignation of several legislators of Madras in protest.
(D)The Tamil speaking people of old Madras province demanding the reorganisation of state on the basis of language.
Official Answer

The correct answer is (C) Death of the Congress leader, Potti Sriramulu, which caused great unrest and led to the resignation of several legislators of Madras in protest.


Potti Sriramulu undertook a fast unto death demanding a separate Andhra state for Telugu-speaking people. His death on 15 December 1952 triggered widespread protests, forcing the government to announce the creation of Andhra state in October 1953 — the first state formed purely on linguistic lines.

Potti SriramuluAndhra state 1953linguistic reorganisationTelugu speaking peopleMadras PresidencyStates Reorganisation Commissionfast unto death

Marking Scheme

  • 11 mark for correctly choosing option (C).

Hint

Remember the specific person whose fast unto death directly triggered Andhra's formation — Potti Sriramulu, not a general Congress policy.

Quick Oral Answer

Potti Sriramulu's death after a prolonged fast for a separate Telugu-speaking state caused unrest that forced the government to create Andhra state in 1953.

Analysis & Explanation

This question checks the precise historical trigger for India's first linguistically organised state, a landmark event in nation-building.


Why (C) is correct

  • Potti Sriramulu's fast and subsequent death directly caused the mass unrest that forced the Centre to concede a separate Telugu-speaking Andhra state.

Why the distractors are wrong

  • (A) is too vague and generic — it describes the broader post-colonial context, not the specific trigger.
  • (B) is a distractor mixing up an unrelated historical detail about Congress organisation in 1920; it did not directly cause the 1952-53 formation.
  • (D) is factually wrong — Andhra state was demanded by Telugu-speaking people, not Tamil-speaking people, of the old Madras Presidency.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Selecting (D) by wrongly assuming Andhra was carved out for Tamil speakers rather than Telugu speakers.
  2. 2Choosing the generic option (A) instead of the specific historical trigger asked for in the question.

Interesting Facts

Potti Sriramulu died on 15 December 1952 after fasting for 58 days demanding a separate Andhra state.

Andhra State was formally created on 1 October 1953, becoming the first state in independent India formed on a linguistic basis.

The States Reorganisation Commission (1953) and the States Reorganisation Act (1956) followed this event, redrawing India's internal boundaries largely along linguistic lines.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Potti Sriramulu?

Potti Sriramulu was a Congress leader and Gandhian activist who undertook a fast unto death demanding a separate state for Telugu-speaking people; his death in December 1952 led to the creation of Andhra state.

Was Andhra the first linguistically formed state in India?

Yes, Andhra State, created in 1953, was the first state in independent India formed purely on the linguistic principle, paving the way for the broader States Reorganisation Act of 1956.