UPSC Prelims 2025Question 52Polity

Consider the following pairs:
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched? 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

Options

(a)Only one
(b)Only two
(c)All the three
(d)None

Correct answer: c

Decision rule

A princely state that merged in 1949 follows Part 'C' State to Union Territory in 1956 to statehood under the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.

Explanation

Correct Answer:

(c) All the three

Explanation of the Correct Answer:

Let’s examine each pair:

I. Arunachal Pradesh – “The capital is named after a fort, and the State has two National Parks”
- Correct.
  - The capital Itanagar is named after the Ita Fort, a 14th–15th-century fort built by the Ahom rulers (Ita = brick).
  - The state has two officially designated National Parks:
    - Namdapha National Park
    - Mouling National Park

II. Nagaland – “The State came into existence on the basis of a Constitutional Amendment Act”
- Correct.
  - Nagaland became a full-fledged state in 1963 through the 13th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1962.
  - This Act inserted Article 371A, providing special protections and recognizing the distinct social and religious practices of the Nagas.

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”
- Correct.
  - Tripura was a Part 'C' state after merging with India in 1949.
  - With the States Reorganization Act of 1956, it became a Union Territory (centrally administered).
  - It was granted full statehood in 1972 under the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

(a) Only one – Incorrect: All three are correctly matched.
(b) Only two – Incorrect: All three are correct.
(d) None – Incorrect: All are factually correct.

Relevant Supplementary Information

Table: Evaluation of the Pairs

State	Claim	Correct?	Explanation
Arunachal Pradesh	Capital named after a fort; has two National Parks	Yes	Itanagar from Ita Fort; Namdapha and Mouling National Parks
Nagaland	Formed via a Constitutional Amendment Act	Yes	13th Amendment Act, 1962; Article 371A
Tripura	Was Part C → UT in 1956 → Full statehood later	Yes	Part C → UT (1956) → Statehood in 1972 via North-Eastern Areas Act

Related Concepts:

Term / Concept	Explanation
Part C States	States governed by a Chief Commissioner or Lt. Governor post-independence
13th Constitutional Amendment	Enabled creation of Nagaland with special constitutional safeguards
States Reorganization Act, 1956	Classified states based on language and administrative convenience
North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971	Granted statehood to Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya

Current Relevance:

All three states are part of India's northeastern region, which enjoys special constitutional safeguards.
Arunachal and Tripura are relevant for biodiversity and geopolitical reasons, while Nagaland’s Article 371A is often cited in discussions on tribal autonomy.

Table: Concepts Related to Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Tripura

State	Concept / Feature	Explanation	Supporting Fact
Arunachal Pradesh	Capital named after a fort	Itanagar is named after Ita Fort, built in the 14th–15th century	Ita = brick; fort is located within the capital city
	National Parks	Arunachal has two National Parks: Namdapha and Mouling	Namdapha – biodiversity hotspot; Mouling – in Siang valley
Nagaland	Created via Constitutional Amendment	Became a state through the 13th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1962	Came into force in 1963; inserted Article 371A granting special provisions
	Special constitutional status	Article 371A preserves Naga customary laws, land, and religious practices	No Act of Parliament applies in these matters unless State Assembly agrees
Tripura	Part C state to Union Territory	Initially a Part C state, became a Union Territory in 1956	Under States Reorganization Act, 1956
	Achieved statehood later	Became a full-fledged state in 1972	Via North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971

Related Legal and Historical Concepts

Concept	Explanation
Part C States	Under the Constitution of 1950, governed by Chief Commissioners or Lt. Governors; abolished in 1956
States Reorganization Act, 1956	Reclassified Indian states and territories on linguistic and administrative lines
North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971	Created new states including Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur
Constitutional Amendments	Amendments like the 13th and 21st played key roles in the creation of northeastern states

Table: Key Facts About North-East States of India

State	Capital	Statehood Year	Special Constitutional Provision	National Parks	Origin & Historical Status
Arunachal Pradesh	Itanagar	1987	None (but protected under ILP and special land rights)	Namdapha, Mouling	UT in 1972 → Statehood via 55th Amendment Act, 1986
Assam	Dispur	1950 (original state)	Sixth Schedule areas for tribal autonomy	Kaziranga, Manas, Orang, Nameri, Dibru-Saikhowa	One of the original Indian states post-independence
Manipur	Imphal	1972	Article 371C	Keibul Lamjao	Princely state merged in 1949 → UT → Statehood via NEA Act, 1971
Meghalaya	Shillong	1972	Sixth Schedule + Article 371B	Balphakram, Nokrek	Carved out of Assam → Statehood via NEA Act, 1971
Mizoram	Aizawl	1987	Article 371G	Murlen, Phawngpui	UT in 1972 → Statehood via 53rd Amendment Act, 1986
Nagaland	Kohima	1963	Article 371A	Intangki	Created via 13th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1962
Sikkim	Gangtok	1975	Article 371F	Khangchendzonga	Became part of India in 1975 via 36th Amendment
Tripura	Agartala	1972	Article 371F-like protections (via statute)	Clouded Leopard NP, Gumti NP, Rajbari NP	Princely state → Part C → UT in 1956 → Statehood via NEA Act, 1971

Key to Special Provisions:

Article	Purpose
Article 371A	Special autonomy for Nagaland: laws on religion, culture, land need Assembly consent
Article 371C	Administrative safeguards for Manipur hill areas (tribal interests)
Article 371F	Protects old laws of Sikkim post-merger into India
Article 371G	Laws on Mizo religion/customs require Assembly consent
Sixth Schedule	Autonomous District Councils in tribal areas (Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura)

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