The Dhar Commission, also referred to as the Linguistic Provinces Commission, was established by the Indian government in 1948 to provide recommendations on the re-organization of states based on linguistic criteria. The commission was headed by S.K. Dhar and was set up to investigate the possibility of re-organizing states based on language. The commission's report was submitted in December 1948.

 

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The commission's recommendations sparked much controversy and led to the formation of another committee, known as the JVP Committee, consisting of Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, and Pattabhi Sitaramayya. The Dhar Commission's report advocated for re-organizing states based on administrative convenience, rather than linguistic considerations. The commission suggested that states should be re-organized based on factors such as geographical contiguity, financial self-reliance, administrative viability, and potential for development.

 

The commission's report stated that the formation of provinces based solely on linguistic considerations could potentially threaten national unity and would also be administratively inconvenient. The report was in line with the views of key figures in the Constituent Assembly who were against the formation of linguistic provinces.

 

Despite the commission's recommendations, the demand for linguistic provinces remains a significant issue in India today. The Dhar Commission's report was an important milestone in the history of state re-organization in India, highlighting the importance of administrative considerations in the re-organization of states. The report also emphasized the need to prioritize national unity over linguistic considerations.