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Key Points at a Glance
- 562 Princely States at Independence
- At independence (15 August 1947), India had 562 princely states
- Together they covered about 48% of territory and 33% of population
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (with V.P. Menon) led the integration effort
- Most states integrated through the Instrument of Accession framework by September 1947
- Operation Polo — Hyderabad Integration
- Hyderabad was the largest state (82,000 sq mi) and refused accession
- India launched Operation Polo (Police Action) on 13–17 September 1948
- The Nizam's Razakar militia was defeated in 108 hours
- Hyderabad was annexed into the Indian Union
- Junagadh — Plebiscite Victory
- Junagadh (Kathiawar, Gujarat) had a Hindu-majority population
- The Nawab acceded to Pakistan in September 1947 despite this
- India took over in November 1947 after a plebiscite showing 99.95% support for India
- Kashmir Accession
- Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947
- Pakistani tribal invasion triggered the signing
- India's military airlift to Srinagar secured the Valley
- The matter was referred to the UN in January 1948
- States Reorganisation Act 1956
- Based on the Fazl Ali Commission, 1953
- Created 14 states and 6 union territories on linguistic lines
- Most significant redrawing of India's internal map
- Converted British provinces and princely territories into language-based states
- Andhra Pradesh — First Linguistic State
- Andhra Pradesh was the first state formed on linguistic basis
- Carved from Madras State on 1 October 1953
- Potti Sreeramulu died after fasting unto death demanding a Telugu state
- His death directly triggered the States Reorganisation Commission
- Scientific Policy Resolution 1958
- Drafted under PM Nehru; committed India to science for people's welfare
- Nehru established IITs (Kharagpur 1951), AIIMS Delhi (1956), IIM Calcutta/Ahmedabad (1961)
- Also built nuclear programme institutions under this vision
- India's Nuclear Tests
- Pokhran-I (Operation Smiling Buddha), 18 May 1974 — India became the sixth nuclear-capable country
- Pokhran-II (Operation Shakti), 11–13 May 1998 under PM Vajpayee — five tests conducted
- India formally declared itself a nuclear weapons state
- Women's Rights — Constitutional and Legal Foundation
- Constitution guaranteed equality via Articles 14, 15, 16
- Hindu Code Bills (1955–56) — four acts transforming women's legal status
- Covered rights in marriage, inheritance, and guardianship
- Overcame intense parliamentary opposition to pass
- Indira Gandhi — First Woman Prime Minister
- Became India's first woman Prime Minister in 1966
- Held office in three terms: 1966–77 and 1980–84
- Led India to victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak War (creating Bangladesh)
- Internationally recognised as one of the most powerful leaders of the 20th century
- Women's Political Reservation Milestones
- 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (1992) reserved 33% seats for women in Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies
- Created structural empowerment of over 1 million elected women at grassroots level
- National Policy for the Empowerment of Women (2001) and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (2015) are landmark policy milestones
- Women's Reservation Act 2023
- Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam reserves 33% seats in Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, and Delhi Assembly
- Will be implemented after the next census and delimitation exercise
- Expected implementation: 2026–27
- Green Revolution (1966–71)
- Under PM Indira Gandhi and agronomist M.S. Swaminathan
- High-yielding variety (HYV) wheat seeds (Sonora 64) introduced
- Wheat production tripled from 11 MT (1966) to 31 MT (1972)
- Punjab, Haryana, and western UP became the granary of India, ensuring food security