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Indian States and Union Territories: Constitutional and Historical Framework

Constitutional Provisions for State Formation & Alteration

Relevant Articles

• Article 1: Defines India as a “Union of States”.
• Article 2: Empowers Parliament to admit new states into the Union or establish new states.
• Article 3: Empowers Parliament to:
  • Form a new state by separation from an existing state.
  • Form a new state by uniting two or more states or parts of states.
  • Increase or diminish the area of any state.
  • Alter the boundaries or the name of any state.
• Article 4: States that laws made under Article 2, 3, and 4 are not considered amendments under Article 368.

Power and Authority

• The sole power to create new states and alter boundaries/areas/names is vested in the Parliament.
• The President or the Central Government does not hold this executive power.
• India is an “indestructible Union of destructible states” because states have no right to secede (break away) from the Union.

Legislative Process

• A bill to create a new state or alter boundaries requires only a simple majority in Parliament and is not deemed a constitutional amendment.
• The bill must amend the First Schedule of the Constitution (which lists the states and territories).
• Before introducing the bill, the President must refer it to the legislature of the affected state(s) for expressing its views. However, the consent of the state legislature is not required; Parliament is not bound by the state’s opinion.

Historical Context and Commissions for Reorganization

Basis for Reorganization

• Indian states were officially reorganized on a linguistic basis primarily in the year 1956.
• Andhra Pradesh was the first state formed on a linguistic basis (created in 1953).

Key Commissions

• S.K. Dhar Commission (1948): Preferred administrative convenience over language for reorganization.
• JVP Committee (Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Pattabhi Sitaramayya): Also initially did not favor linguistic reorganization.
• States Reorganisation Commission (Fazal Ali Commission), 1953-1956: Recommended the creation of 14 states and 6 union territories in its 1956 report.

Chronology of State Formation

Union Territories (UTs)

Administration and Status

• Union Territories are administered by the President of India through an Administrator (or Lt. Governor) appointed by them.
• The term “State” in Article 3 includes a Union Territory for the purpose of forming new states, but a UT cannot be formed by including a state.
• Delhi is officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, with a special status granted by the 69th Constitutional Amendment Act (1991).

Representation

• A maximum of 20 seats are reserved for Union Territories in the Lok Sabha.
• Currently, 19 members are elected from UTs to the Lok Sabha.

Specifics of UTs

• UTs where the President can make regulations for peace and governance (Article 240):
  • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  • Lakshadweep
  • Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
  • Note: Puducherry is not included under this power.
• Former Colonial Holdings:
  • Dadra and Nagar Haveli were under Portuguese colonial rule until 1954.

Current Count and Recent Changes

• As of the latest data: 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
• This count changed due to:
  • The creation of Telangana (2014).
  • The reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir into two UTs: Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (2019).
  • The merger of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu into a single UT (2019).

Key Distinctions, Clarifications, and Other Facts

Constitutional Distinctions

• Article 2 vs. Article 3:
  • Article 2 deals with the admission or establishment of brand new states (e.g., from acquired territory).
  • Article 3 deals with the reorganization of existing states within the Union.
• Federal Nature: The power of Parliament to unilaterally alter state boundaries without their consent demonstrates the unitary nature of the Indian federation.
• Secession: While states cannot secede, the advocacy of secession may not have absolute protection under freedom of expression.

Process of State Creation

• The power lies solely with the Parliament of India by passing a law; it cannot be done by a state assembly or a governor’s ordinance.

Renamed Capitals and States

• State Capitals:
  • Madras → Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
  • Calcutta → Kolkata (West Bengal)
  • Bombay → Mumbai (Maharashtra)
  • Bangalore → Bengaluru (Karnataka)
  • Pondicherry → Puducherry
  • Trivandrum → Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)
• States:
  • Mysore was renamed Karnataka.
• Unique Case: Andhra Pradesh has a three-capital system:
  • Amaravati (Legislative)
  • Visakhapatnam (Executive)
  • Kurnool (Judicial)

Regional Issues and Groups

• • River Water Disputes: The Kaveri River Water dispute involves Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
  • Extremist/Terrorist Groups:
    • ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) is active in Assam.
    • People’s War Group (PWG) was based in Andhra Pradesh.

Know More About States and the Union Territories:

• States and the Union Territories -Old Year Questions
• States and the Union Territories One Liner Questions & Answers