Railway
Arunachal Pradesh, earlier known as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), was made a full-fledged State in 1987 by the:
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Answer: Option B — 55th Amendment Act, 1986
Detailed Solution
The 55th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1986, made special provisions for the new State of Arunachal Pradesh, which became a full-fledged state on 20 February 1987.
History of Arunachal Pradesh:
- During British rule, the area was known as the North-East Frontier Tracts, and later the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA).
- After Independence, NEFA was administered by the Ministry of External Affairs, with the Governor of Assam as the agent of the President.
- In 1972, it became a Union Territory and was renamed Arunachal Pradesh ("land of the dawn-lit mountains").
- On 20 February 1987, it became the 24th State of India, under the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986, and the 55th Amendment.
What the 55th Amendment did:
It inserted Article 371H, which gives the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh special responsibility with respect to law and order in the state; in this matter, the Governor exercises his or her individual judgement after consulting the Council of Ministers.
It provided that the Legislative Assembly of Arunachal Pradesh shall have not less than 30 members.
Mizoram (1987):
In the same period, the 53rd Amendment (1986) gave special provisions for Mizoram (Article 371G), which also became a state on 20 February 1987, after the Mizo Peace Accord of 1986.
Goa (1987):
The 56th Amendment (1987) made Goa a state on 30 May 1987.
About Arunachal Pradesh:
- Its capital is Itanagar.
- It is the largest state of north-east India by area.
- It shares international borders with Bhutan, China and Myanmar.
- The McMahon Line marks its boundary with Tibet (China); China claims much of the state.
- It is home to many tribes, such as the Adi, Nyishi, Apatani, Monpa and Mishmi.
- The Tawang Monastery is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in India.
- It is called the "land of the rising sun" of India, because Dong, in Anjaw district, is one of the first places in India to see the sunrise.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The 53rd Amendment dealt with Mizoram; the 56th with Goa; the 27th with other north-eastern territories.
Quick tip
Remember: 55th Amendment (1986) = Arunachal Pradesh a state (20 February 1987; Article 371H); 53rd = Mizoram; 56th = Goa.
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Constitutional Amendments — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Constitutional Amendments, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the procedure for amending the Constitution under Article 368 and the most important amendments, such as the 1st, 7th, 42nd, 44th, 52nd, 61st, 73rd, 74th, 86th, 101st and 103rd Amendments, along with the basic structure doctrine. Exams ask what a particular amendment did: the 61st lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, the 73rd and 74th gave constitutional status to panchayats and municipalities, the 86th made education a Fundamental Right, and the 101st introduced GST. The 42nd Amendment (1976) is often called the 'mini-Constitution' because of how much it changed. Practise the constitutional amendments questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.