Punjab GK · Post-1947 history
Partition of Punjab (1947) and the Punjab Reorganisation of 1966: Radcliffe Line, Chandigarh, PEPSU Merger and the Punjabi Suba — Exam Notes
Today's Punjab is the product of two great divisions — the Partition of 1947, which split the province between India and Pakistan, and the reorganisation of 1966, which created Haryana and transferred the hill areas to Himachal Pradesh. Exams test the dates, the commissions and the people behind these events. This guide sets them out in order.
Partition of 1947
The decision
The 3 June 1947 Plan (Mountbatten Plan) provided for the partition of Punjab and Bengal. The Punjab Legislative Assembly members from the eastern and western parts voted separately, and the province was divided.
The Boundary Commission
The Punjab Boundary Commission was chaired by Sir Cyril Radcliffe. Its members were Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan and Justice Teja Singh (nominated by the Congress side) and Justice Din Muhammad and Justice Muhammad Munir (nominated by the Muslim League side). As the members could not agree, Radcliffe gave the final award.
- The award was announced on 17 August 1947, two days after Independence.
- The boundary is known as the Radcliffe Line.
- Lahore, the capital, went to Pakistan. Of the Gurdaspur district, three tehsils (Gurdaspur, Batala and Pathankot) came to India.
- East Punjab in India initially had 13 districts: Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Ambala, Karnal, Rohtak, Hissar, Gurgaon, Kangra and Shimla.
Human cost and rehabilitation
The Partition caused one of the largest migrations in history. Millions crossed the new border in both directions, and hundreds of thousands were killed in communal violence. The Kurukshetra camp was the largest refugee camp. Refugees were resettled on evacuee land in East Punjab through a points-based allotment system, and new townships and colonies were built.
A new capital
East Punjab's government worked temporarily from Shimla. A new planned capital, Chandigarh, was designed by the architect Le Corbusier (after initial plans by Albert Mayer and Matthew Nowicki) with Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry.
- Chandigarh was inaugurated by President Dr Rajendra Prasad on 7 October 1953.
- Its Capitol Complex became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the Architectural Work of Le Corbusier) in 2016.
The 1950s: language and the PEPSU merger
- In 1949, the Sachar Formula divided the state into Punjabi-speaking and Hindi-speaking zones for school education.
- In 1951, Punjab became the first state to come under President's Rule.
- Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, PEPSU was merged into Punjab on 1 November 1956. The Regional Formula (1956) created Punjabi and Hindi regions with regional committees in the legislature.
The Punjabi Suba movement
The demand for a Punjabi-speaking state (Punjabi Suba) was led by the Shiromani Akali Dal, first under Master Tara Singh and later Sant Fateh Singh. It involved large morchas in 1955 and 1960–61 and repeated fasts.
After the 1965 war, the Union government moved towards a decision:
- A parliamentary committee chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Sardar Hukam Singh recommended linguistic reorganisation (1966).
- A boundary commission headed by Justice J. C. Shah (the Shah Commission) was set up in April 1966 to demarcate the boundary between Punjabi and Hindi areas.
Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966
The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 took effect on 1 November 1966:
| Outcome | Detail |
|---|---|
| Punjab | Present Punjabi-speaking state |
| Haryana | New state formed from the Hindi-speaking south and east |
| Himachal Pradesh | Received Kangra, Kullu, Shimla and other hill areas |
| Chandigarh | Made a Union Territory and the common capital of Punjab and Haryana |
| Bhakra Management Board | Set up to run shared river projects |
1 November is therefore celebrated as Punjab Day (and Haryana Day).
Bhakra and the BBMB
- The Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej was dedicated to the nation by Jawaharlal Nehru on 22 October 1963; he called such projects "temples of resurgent India". Its reservoir is Gobind Sagar.
- The Bhakra Management Board (1966) was renamed the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in 1976 after the Beas projects (Pong Dam and the Beas–Sutlej Link) were added.
Later milestones in brief
- The Rajiv–Longowal Accord (1985) promised, among other things, to transfer Chandigarh to Punjab and to refer river-water and territorial issues to tribunals; these remain unresolved.
- Punjab has grown from 11 districts in 1966 to 23 districts today; Malerkotla became the 23rd in 2021.
Key points to remember
- 3 June 1947 Plan; Radcliffe Line announced 17 August 1947.
- Boundary Commission: Radcliffe (chair), Mehr Chand Mahajan, Teja Singh, Din Muhammad, Muhammad Munir.
- Chandigarh — Le Corbusier; inaugurated 7 October 1953 by Rajendra Prasad; UNESCO 2016.
- PEPSU merged 1 November 1956; Sachar Formula 1949; first President's Rule 1951.
- Hukam Singh Committee and Shah Commission (1966); Punjab Reorganisation Act effective 1 November 1966.
- Bhakra dedicated 22 October 1963; BBMB named in 1976.
Practice questions
Q1. The Punjab Boundary Commission of 1947 was chaired by:
- (a) Lord Mountbatten
- (b) Sir Cyril Radcliffe
- (c) Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan
- (d) Justice J. C. Shah
Show answer
Answer: (b) Sir Cyril Radcliffe — Sir Cyril Radcliffe chaired the commission and gave the final award.
Q2. Chandigarh was inaugurated on 7 October 1953 by:
- (a) Jawaharlal Nehru
- (b) Dr Rajendra Prasad
- (c) Le Corbusier
- (d) Partap Singh Kairon
Show answer
Answer: (b) Dr Rajendra Prasad — President Dr Rajendra Prasad inaugurated Chandigarh.
Q3. The Punjab Reorganisation Act came into effect on:
- (a) 1 November 1956
- (b) 15 August 1947
- (c) 1 November 1966
- (d) 26 January 1950
Show answer
Answer: (c) 1 November 1966 — Punjab, Haryana and the transfer of hill areas took effect on 1 November 1966.
Q4. The boundary commission of 1966 for Punjab and Haryana was headed by:
- (a) Justice J. C. Shah
- (b) Sardar Hukam Singh
- (c) Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan
- (d) Justice Teja Singh
Show answer
Answer: (a) Justice J. C. Shah — The Shah Commission demarcated the boundary.
Q5. Bhakra Dam was dedicated to the nation by Nehru in:
- (a) 1954
- (b) 1963
- (c) 1966
- (d) 1976
Show answer
Answer: (b) 1963 — It was dedicated on 22 October 1963.
Q6. Which Punjab district became the state's 23rd district in 2021?
- (a) Pathankot
- (b) Fazilka
- (c) Malerkotla
- (d) Tarn Taran
Show answer
Answer: (c) Malerkotla — Malerkotla was carved out of Sangrur in 2021.
Frequently asked questions
Why is 1 November celebrated as Punjab Day?
Because the present Punjab was formed under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, on 1 November 1966.
Who led the Punjabi Suba movement?
The Shiromani Akali Dal, under Master Tara Singh and later Sant Fateh Singh.
What was East Punjab's temporary capital before Chandigarh?
Shimla.
Official sources
- Government of Punjab portal
- Chandigarh Administration
- Bhakra Beas Management Board
- India Code — Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966
Rules, dates and figures can change. Always check the latest official notification or government release before relying on a detail.