Why in News
The Ministry of Law and Justice formally notified Amaravati as the single, exclusive capital of Andhra Pradesh on April 8, 2026, through the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026. The notification amends Section 5 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, legally superseding the previous government’s controversial three-capital plan that had split capital functions across three cities.
Background — The Three-Capital Controversy
AP Reorganisation Act, 2014
When Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated to create Telangana in June 2014, the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, designated Hyderabad as the joint capital for a maximum of 10 years, with the residuary AP required to develop a new capital. Section 5 of the Act addressed the capital question.
TDP Government’s Amaravati Plan (2014–2019)
The TDP-led Chandrababu Naidu government selected Amaravati (Guntur district, on the banks of the Krishna river) as the new capital, with ambitious plans for a world-class greenfield capital city modeled on Singapore. Land was pooled from 29 villages under the Land Pooling Scheme.
YSRCP’s Three-Capital Formula (2019–2024)
After winning the 2019 elections, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government under Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy proposed decentralising capital functions:
| Capital Function | Proposed City |
|---|---|
| Legislative Capital | Amaravati |
| Executive Capital | Visakhapatnam (north AP) |
| Judicial Capital | Kurnool (Rayalaseema) |
The AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020 was passed to implement this formula, but it faced:
- High Court challenges (AP HC struck down the three-capital law in March 2022)
- Farmer protests (Amaravati land pooling farmers)
- Supreme Court stays
TDP-NDA Return (June 2024)
The NDA coalition led by N. Chandrababu Naidu returned to power on June 2, 2024, immediately reviving the single-capital Amaravati plan.
The AP Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026 |
| Section Amended | Section 5 of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 |
| Ministry | Ministry of Law and Justice |
| Key Change | Specifies Amaravati as the sole capital of AP |
| Effective Date Inserted | June 2, 2024 (TDP government’s assumption of power) |
| Effect on Three-Capital Plan | Legally nullifies YSRCP’s Decentralisation Act |
Significance of Amaravati
Location
- Situated on the south bank of the Krishna river, Guntur district
- Adjacent to the ancient temple town of Amaravati (famous for 2nd century BCE Buddhist stupa)
- On the national Vijayawada–Guntur highway (NH-16 corridor)
Capital City Area
- The Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) oversees a larger Capital Region of ~8,352 sq km
- The Core Capital Area (Amaravati city) spans ~217 sq km
Infrastructure Status (2026)
- Assembly and High Court buildings partially completed
- Secretariat complex under construction
- High Court of AP already sitting in Amaravati since 2019
- World-class flood protection infrastructure being developed given Krishna river flooding history
UPSC Relevance
GS Paper 2 — Indian Polity & Governance
- State reorganisation under the Constitution
- Centre-state relations — Parliament’s power to reorganise states under Article 3
- Judicial review of state legislature decisions on capital matters
- Federalism debate — can Parliament mandate a state capital?
Key Constitutional Provisions
| Article / Provision | Relevance |
|---|---|
| Article 3 | Parliament’s power to form/alter/merge/reorganise states |
| 7th Schedule, Union List 97 | Centre’s concurrent power in state reorganisation |
| AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 | The parent Act; Section 5 amended |
| AP HC judgment (2022) | Three-capital law struck down as unconstitutional |
Three-Capital vs. One-Capital: The Debate
Arguments for Single Capital (Amaravati)
- Administrative efficiency — governance requires physical concentration
- Farmer commitment — 29 villages pooled land trusting Amaravati as capital
- Momentum — ₹7,000+ crore already invested in Amaravati infrastructure
- Investment certainty — multi-city model deters private investment
Arguments for Decentralisation
- Regional equity — Rayalaseema and north Andhra historically neglected
- Balanced development — prevents hyper-concentration of activity in one city
- Pandemic lesson — dispersed governance reduces systemic risk
Facts Corner
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Amendment enacted | AP Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026 |
| Section amended | Section 5, AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 |
| Effective date (inserted) | June 2, 2024 |
| Three-capital cities | Amaravati, Visakhapatnam, Kurnool (revoked) |
| Land pooled for Amaravati | 29 villages (Guntur district) |
| CRDA Capital Region area | ~8,352 sq km |
| Core Capital Area | ~217 sq km |
| State bifurcation | AP split on June 2, 2014 (Hyderabad = joint capital for 10 years) |
| AP HC on 3 capitals | Struck down YSRCP’s Decentralisation Act (March 2022) |
| Current CM | N. Chandrababu Naidu (TDP) |
