Part I – Union and Its Territory (Articles 1 to 4)
Article 1 – “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States”
Deals with:
Name of the Country – India, that is Bharat
Type of Polity – Union of States
Meaning:
“Union of India” includes only States.
“Territory of India” includes States + Union Territories + Acquired Territories.
India = Indestructible Union of destructible States.
The term “Union” was chosen over “Federation” to signify:
India is not a result of agreement among states.
No state has the right to secede from the Union.
Present Division:
28 States + 9 Union Territories
Administrative System of Union Territories
| Union Territory | Executive Head | Legislature | Judiciary (High Court) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar | Lt. Governor | – | Calcutta HC |
| Chandigarh | Administrator | – | Punjab & Haryana HC |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu | Administrator | – | Bombay HC |
| Delhi | Lt. Governor, CM, Council of Ministers | Assembly | Separate HC |
| Puducherry | Lt. Governor, CM, Council of Ministers | Assembly | Madras HC |
| Lakshadweep | Administrator | – | Kerala HC |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Lt. Governor | Assembly | J&K HC |
| Ladakh | Lt. Governor | – | J&K HC |
Article 2 – Admission or Establishment of New States
Parliament has power to:
Admit new States already in existence.
Establish new States not in existence before.
Article 3 – Formation of New States and Alteration of Areas, Boundaries, or Names
Parliament may by law:
(a) Form a new State
(b) Increase or diminish area of any State
(c) Alter boundaries or name of any State
Conditions:
Bill can be introduced only with prior recommendation of the President.
President must refer the bill to the concerned State Legislature for views (non-binding).
⚠️ Cession of territory to foreign country = Requires Constitutional Amendment (Art. 368)
Boundary dispute settlement = Executive action
Difference between Article 2 & 3
| Article | Deals With | Type of Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Admission/establishment of new States | External adjustment |
| 3 | Formation/alteration of existing States | Internal adjustment |
Article 4 – Supplementary Provisions
Laws made under Articles 2 & 3 are not considered constitutional amendments under Article 368.
Example:
100th Constitutional Amendment Act (2015) – India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement
111 Indian enclaves → Bangladesh
51 Bangladeshi enclaves → India
6.1 km undemarcated border settled
Evolution of Modern Indian States & Union Territories
Integration of Princely States (1947–1950)
At Independence:
British Provinces – directly ruled by British.
Princely States (552) – ruled by native princes.
Options under Indian Independence Act, 1947:
Join India
Join Pakistan
Remain Independent
🔹 By 1949: 549 joined India; remaining 3 integrated later:
Hyderabad – Police Action (Operation Polo)
Junagarh – Referendum
Kashmir – Instrument of Accession
Classification in 1950:
| Part | States/UTs | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Part A | 9 | Bombay, Madras, Punjab |
| Part B | 9 | Hyderabad, Mysore, Jammu & Kashmir |
| Part C | 10 | Delhi, Coorg, Bhopal |
| Part D | 1 | Andaman & Nicobar |
Commissions for State Reorganisation
States Reorganisation Act, 1956 & 7th Amendment
Abolished Part A, B, C; created 14 States & 6 UTs.
Basis: Linguistic reorganisation
Major Outcomes:
Kerala = Travancore–Cochin + Malabar + Kasargod
Andhra Pradesh = Andhra + Telangana (Hyderabad part)
Madhya Pradesh = Madhya Bharat + Vindhya + Bhopal
Bombay = Bombay + Saurashtra + Kutch
New UT = Laccadive, Minicoy, Amindivi Islands
Reorganisation After 1956
| Year | State / UT Formed | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Maharashtra & Gujarat | Split from Bombay |
| 1961 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | Portuguese rule till 1954 |
| 1962 | Goa, Daman & Diu; Puducherry | From Portuguese & French territories |
| 1963 | Nagaland | From Assam |
| 1966 | Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal | Based on Shah Commission |
| 1972 | Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya | From UTs/sub-states |
| 1975 | Sikkim | Became full state (36th CAA) |
| 1987 | Mizoram, Arunachal, Goa | Statehood granted |
| 2000 | Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand | From MP, UP, Bihar |
| 2014 | Telangana | From Andhra Pradesh |
| 2019 | J&K & Ladakh | J&K Reorganisation Act |
Second States Reorganisation (Contemporary)
| Need | Merits | Demerits |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid population growth | Administrative efficiency | Resource sharing disputes |
| Cultural/ethnic identity (e.g. Gorkhaland, Bodoland) | Better representation | Political opposition |
| Regional imbalance | Local empowerment | Economic disruption |
| Economic backwardness | Social cohesion | Legal challenges |
Exam Hints Summary
| Topic | Key Points |
|---|---|
| Article 1 | “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.” |
| Article 2 | Admission/Establishment of new States |
| Article 3 | Formation, Alteration, Renaming of States |
| Article 4 | Not a Constitutional Amendment under Art. 368 |
| 100th CAA | India–Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement |
| 1956 Act | Linguistic reorganisation – 14 States, 6 UTs |
| 36th CAA | Sikkim became full-fledged state (1975) |
| 2019 | J&K split into 2 UTs – J&K & Ladakh |


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