Constitutional Evolution of Himachal Pradesh

The single most reliably asked chronology in the HP papers. Learn it as a ladder of eight steps.

• 15 April 1948 — Chief Commissioner's Province, by integration of about thirty hill states. Four districts: Chamba, Mandi, Mahasu, Sirmaur. First Chief Commissioner: N. C. Mehta.
• 26 January 1950 — becomes a Part C state under a Lieutenant Governor; a 36-member Assembly is provided in 1951.
• 1952 — first election; Dr. Y. S. Parmar becomes the first Chief Minister on 8 March 1952.
• 1 July 1954 — Bilaspur merged as the fifth district.
• 1 November 1956 — States Reorganisation Act: becomes a Union Territory; Assembly dissolved, Territorial Council created.
• 1 May 1960 — Kinnaur created as the sixth district.
• 1 July 1963 — legislature restored under the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963; Parmar returns as Chief Minister.
• 1 November 1966 — Punjab Reorganisation Act: Kangra, Kullu, Lahaul & Spiti, Shimla, Nalagarh, parts of Una, and Dalhousie–Bakloh transferred. Ten districts.
• 18 December 1970 — the State of Himachal Pradesh Act passed by Parliament (assent 31 December 1970).
• 25 January 1971 — Himachal becomes the 18th state; proclaimed by Indira Gandhi at the Ridge. The High Court is established the same day.
• 1 September 1972 — reorganisation into twelve districts: Una, Hamirpur and Solan created; Mahasu dissolved into Shimla.