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How did the ‘Amaravati Bill’ come into place?

April 04, 2026 4 min read Polity & Governance GS Paper 2
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What Happened

  • Parliament passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, amending Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 to designate Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh
  • The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on 1 April 2026, and the Rajya Sabha passed it on 2 April 2026, with the YSRCP staging a walkout during the debate
  • The Bill gives retrospective recognition to Amaravati as the capital from 2 June 2024, marking the end of the 10-year common capital arrangement with Telangana over Hyderabad
  • The AP Legislative Assembly had passed a resolution on 28 March 2026 requesting the central government to amend Section 5(2) of the 2014 Act
  • The amendment moves the capital designation from an executive notification to a statutory provision, giving the decision legal sanctity

Static Topic Bridges

Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014

The AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 was the central legislation that bifurcated the unified state of Andhra Pradesh into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Section 5 of the Act provided that Hyderabad shall serve as the common capital for both states for a period not exceeding 10 years. After the expiry of this period, Hyderabad would become the exclusive capital of Telangana, and the successor state of Andhra Pradesh was required to establish a new capital. The Governor was given special responsibility for ensuring the security of residents in the common capital area (the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area).

  • The Act was enacted following the recommendations of the Group of Ministers and the passage of the AP Reorganisation Bill in both Houses of Parliament in February 2014
  • Section 5(1): Hyderabad as common capital for up to 10 years from the "appointed day" (2 June 2014)
  • Section 5(2): After the common capital period, a new capital for AP to be notified
  • The Act also created provisions for division of assets and liabilities, river water sharing (Section 89), and established special development packages for backward areas
  • Article 3 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to form new states and alter boundaries of existing states

Connection to this news: The 2026 amendment modifies Section 5(2) by explicitly naming Amaravati as the capital rather than leaving it to executive notification, providing permanent statutory backing to a decision that was previously only an administrative designation.

State Capitals and Constitutional Provisions

The Indian Constitution does not contain specific provisions regarding the designation of state capitals. While Article 3 empowers Parliament to reorganise states, and Article 4 provides for consequential and supplementary provisions in reorganisation acts, the choice of a state capital is generally a matter of state executive decision. However, in the case of newly created states or bifurcation, the reorganisation act passed by Parliament may include provisions about capital cities, as seen in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

  • Unlike the designation of New Delhi as the seat of the central government under Article 1 read with the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, there is no constitutional mandate specifying how state capitals are chosen
  • The controversy over the three-capital proposal (Visakhapatnam as executive capital, Kurnool as judicial capital, Amaravati as legislative capital) by the previous YSRCP government raised questions about the distribution of administrative functions
  • The Supreme Court has held that the state legislature has the competence to decide the location of its capital through executive action
  • Chandigarh serves as a shared capital between Punjab and Haryana, a precedent for the Hyderabad arrangement

Connection to this news: By amending the central reorganisation act rather than relying solely on state executive action, the Amaravati designation gains the force of parliamentary legislation, making it significantly harder to reverse through a mere change in state government.

Seventh Schedule and Centre-State Relations in Reorganisation

The reorganisation of states falls under the exclusive domain of Parliament under Article 3 of the Constitution. However, the President is required to refer any bill affecting the area, boundaries, or name of a state to the legislature of that state for expressing its views (though Parliament is not bound by these views). The Sarkaria Commission (1988) and the Punchhi Commission (2010) have examined Centre-State relations, including the process of state reorganisation. The States Reorganisation Commission (1955) laid the foundational principles for linguistic reorganisation of states.

  • Article 3 requires the President to refer a reorganisation bill to the affected state legislature; the state's views are advisory, not binding
  • The 10-year common capital period for Hyderabad was a compromise to allow AP time to develop a new capital
  • The AP Assembly's resolution of 28 March 2026 requesting the amendment represents the constitutional mechanism of the state expressing its views to the Centre
  • The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) was created in 2014 to develop Amaravati as the capital region

Connection to this news: The legislative process followed -- state assembly resolution followed by parliamentary amendment -- demonstrates the cooperative Centre-State mechanism envisioned in the Constitution for reorganisation-related matters, with the state's preference being formalised through central legislation.

Key Facts & Data

  • Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 passed: Lok Sabha (1 April), Rajya Sabha (2 April)
  • Amends Section 5 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014
  • Retrospective effect from 2 June 2024 (end of 10-year common capital period)
  • The 10-year common capital arrangement with Hyderabad was established on 2 June 2014 ("appointed day")
  • AP Assembly resolution requesting the amendment: 28 March 2026
  • Article 3 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to reorganise states
  • The three-capital proposal (Visakhapatnam, Kurnool, Amaravati) by the previous government sparked widespread controversy and protests