Question

When was Telangana officially merged with Andhra Pradesh after the end of Nizam's rule?
a. 1954
b. 1956
c. 1955
d. 1953

Answer 1

Hint: Operation Polo was initiated by the Indian government sometime after independence, because the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan had declined to become a part of the Indian Union after India's independence in 1947, even after facing repeated requests from Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. Hyderabad was annexed by the Indian army and the Nizam surrendered on 17 September 1948 to Sardar Patel.

Complete Answer:
a. In December 1953, to facilitate the reorganisation of state borders, the States Reorganisation Commission was created. Even after their shared language, the panel was not in favour of an immediate union of Telangana with Andhra State. Telangana and Andhra states were merged on November 1, 1956, with the intervention of the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
b. There were many questions concerning the people of Telangana. The region had a less developed economy than Andhra, but with a greater revenue base which people in Telangana feared could be transferred to Andhra for use. They were afraid that planned irrigation projects on the rivers Krishna and Godavari would not support Telangana proportionately, even though the headwaters of the rivers were managed by the citizens of Telangana. It was feared that the people of Andhra, who under British rule had access to higher educational standards, would have an unfair advantage in pursuing government employment and education.
c. On November 1, 1956, following the Gentlemen's Agreement, the central government formed a united Andhra Pradesh. The agreement provided Telangana with reassurances as to the power-sharing and administrative domicile rules and the allocation of costs for the different regions.
Thus, the correct option is (B).

Note: Before the establishment of the State of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, the Gentlemen's Agreement of Andhra Pradesh was signed between the Telangana and Andhra representatives. The agreement offered provisions intending to prevent discrimination by the government of Andhra Pradesh against Telangana. However, the people of Telangana were not satisfied and after a long struggle, they were finally able to form a separate state in 2014.