UPSC Prelims 2025 Q52: Arunachal, Nagaland, Tripura Statehood Explained
Consider the following pairs:
(State : Description)
I. Arunachal Pradesh : The capital is named after a fort, and the State has two National Parks
II. Nagaland : The State came into existence on the basis of a Constitutional Amendment Act
III. Tripura : Initially a Part 'C' State, it became a centrally administered territory with the reorganization of States in 1956 and later attained the status of a full-fledged State
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- Only one
- Only two
- All the three
- None
Answer: (c) All the three
Statement-wise explanation
- I: correct — Itanagar, the capital, takes its name from Ita Fort, the 'fort of bricks' (ita means brick in Assamese), a brick fort usually dated to the 14th–15th century. Arunachal Pradesh has two National Parks: Namdapha in Changlang district and Mouling in Siang. Both parts of the description hold, so the pair is correctly matched.
- II: correct — Nagaland became a State on 1 December 1963, India's 16th State. It was carved out of Assam's Naga Hills–Tuensang Area. Two laws created it together: the State of Nagaland Act, 1962, and the Constitution (Thirteenth Amendment) Act, 1962. The amendment inserted Article 371A, which protects Naga customary law, religious and social practices, and land and its resources. UPSC treats the Thirteenth Amendment as the basis of statehood, so the pair is correctly matched.
- III: correct — Tripura was a princely state that merged with India in October 1949. Under the 1950 Constitution it became a Part 'C' State. On 1 November 1956 the States Reorganisation Act and the Seventh Amendment abolished the Part A/B/C/D classes, and Tripura became a centrally administered Union Territory. It became a full State on 21 January 1972 under the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. Every stage in the description is accurate.
How to eliminate
Elimination does not help much here. The pairs carry no absolute words like 'only' or 'always', and each one is a chain of specific facts. Some anchors make it easier. (1) Most aspirants know Itanagar comes from Ita Fort. The only real doubt in Pair I is the count of National Parks, and the two to remember are Namdapha and Mouling. (2) Article 371A for Nagaland came with the Thirteenth Amendment, 1962. If you link Nagaland's statehood to 371A, Pair II is easy. (3) Pair III follows the standard path for Manipur and Tripura: Part C State in 1950, Union Territory in 1956, full State in 1972. If you know that path, Pair III is clearly correct. With all three anchors, the answer is 'all three'. Facts to remember: Arunachal has 2 National Parks, Nagaland came with the 13th Amendment and Art. 371A, and Tripura went from Part C to UT (1956) to State (1972).
Know more
How the North-East got its States
In 1950 the Constitution grouped units into Part A (former provinces), Part B (former princely unions), Part C (Chief Commissioners' provinces and some princely states) and Part D (Andaman & Nicobar). The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 and the Seventh Amendment, 1956 removed these classes. From then on there were only States and Union Territories.
The North-East was later carved out of Assam, or upgraded from UT status, in stages:
| State | Earlier status | Statehood | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nagaland | Naga Hills–Tuensang Area (Assam) | 1 Dec 1963 | State of Nagaland Act 1962 + 13th Amendment (Art. 371A) |
| Manipur | Part C → UT (1956) | 21 Jan 1972 | North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act 1971 |
| Tripura | Part C → UT (1956) | 21 Jan 1972 | NEA (Reorganisation) Act 1971 |
| Meghalaya | Autonomous State within Assam (1970) | 21 Jan 1972 | NEA (Reorganisation) Act 1971 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | NEFA → UT (1972) | 20 Feb 1987 | State of Arunachal Pradesh Act 1986 + 55th Amendment (Art. 371H) |
| Mizoram | Lushai Hills district → UT (1972) | 20 Feb 1987 | State of Mizoram Act 1986 + 53rd Amendment (Art. 371G) |
Key points
- Parliament creates new States by ordinary law under Articles 2–4. Article 4 says such a law is not an amendment under Article 368. Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal also needed constitutional amendments because each got a special provision under Article 371.
- Article 371A (Nagaland) and 371G (Mizoram) stop Acts of Parliament on customary law, religious and social practices and land from applying unless the State Assembly agrees.
- 21 January is Statehood Day for Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura. 20 February is Statehood Day for Arunachal and Mizoram.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Part A, B, C and D states: Pair III starts from Tripura's 1950 classification, so you need to know what a Part 'C' State was.
- States Reorganisation Act 1956: This 1956 Act changed Tripura's status, the second stage described in Pair III.
- 7th Constitutional Amendment Act 1956: The Seventh Amendment abolished the Part A–D classes, which is why Tripura's label changed in 1956.
- Union territory: Pair III says Tripura was centrally administered; this explains what Union Territory status means.
- Special provisions for Nagaland: Pair II turns on the constitutional amendment linked to Nagaland's statehood and its special provision.