Union and Its Territory Notes for SSC Exams

The Union and Its Territory (Part I, Articles 1 to 4) is the first chapter of the Indian Polity and a regular source of questions in SSC exams. Questions come on the meaning of the "Union of States", the powers of Parliament to create and change states, the reorganisation commissions, the formation of states with years and the list of Union Territories. These notes cover all of it with tables, a timeline and practice questions, written like a Polity teacher's revision sheet.

Articles 1 to 4 at a Glance

Union of States and Not a Federation

• The Constitution of India describes India as a Union of States. The term "federation" is not used anywhere in the Constitution.
• Dr B.R. Ambedkar said India is a Union because (1) it is not the result of an agreement among the states, and (2) no state has the right to secede from it.
• The states are not indestructible: Parliament can change their area, boundary and name under Article 3. The Union is indestructible but the states are destructible.
• Because of the strong Centre, the Indian system is called quasi-federal (K.C. Wheare) or federal with a unitary bias.

Parliament's Power under Article 3

• A bill for formation of a new state or alteration of boundaries can be introduced in Parliament only on the recommendation of the President.
• Before recommending, the President refers the bill to the state legislature concerned for its views within a specified period. These views are not binding on Parliament.
• The bill is passed by a simple majority and is not a constitutional amendment (Article 4).
• Parliament can also make a state into a Union Territory or vice versa, as was done in the case of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
• Berubari Union case (1960): the Supreme Court held that Article 3 does not allow cession of Indian territory to a foreign country; this needs a constitutional amendment under Article 368. The Preamble is not a part of the Constitution, the court said then (later changed in the Kesavananda Bharati case, 1973).
• The 100th Amendment Act (2015) gave effect to the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh (exchange of enclaves).

Reorganisation of States: Commissions

• In 1950, states were classified as Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D. The 7th Amendment (1956) ended this classification and introduced States and Union Territories.

Formation of States and Union Territories: Timeline

After the changes of 2019 and 2020, India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories.

Union Territories of India

• Union Territories are administered by the President through an administrator (Lieutenant Governor or Chief Commissioner) under Article 239.
• Parliament has the power to legislate on all subjects for the Union Territories. Article 240 allows the President to make regulations for certain UTs.
• Article 241: Parliament may establish a High Court for a Union Territory. Delhi has its own High Court.

Acquisition of Territories and Integration of Princely States

• Princely states were integrated by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel with V.P. Menon as the Secretary of the States Department. Junagadh, Hyderabad (Operation Polo, 1948) and Jammu and Kashmir (Instrument of Accession, 26 October 1947) were important cases.
• French territories: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam were transferred in 1954 and legally merged in 1962.
• Portuguese territories: Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1954), and Goa, Daman and Diu in 1961 through military action (Operation Vijay).
• Sikkim became a state in 1975 by the 36th Amendment.

Special Provisions and Other Important Points

• Article 370 gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir. It was abrogated on 5 August 2019.
• Article 371 and its sub-articles (371A to 371J) give special provisions to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland (371A), Assam (371B), Manipur (371C), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (371D and 371E), Sikkim (371F), Mizoram (371G), Arunachal Pradesh (371H), Goa (371I) and Karnataka (371J).
• The First Schedule of the Constitution lists the names of the States and the Union Territories. The Fifth and Sixth Schedules deal with the administration of tribal areas.
• Name changes: Madras to Tamil Nadu (1969), Mysore to Karnataka (1973), Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand (2007), Orissa to Odisha (2011), Pondicherry to Puducherry (2006).
• The territorial waters of India extend to 12 nautical miles, the contiguous zone to 24 nautical miles and the Exclusive Economic Zone to 200 nautical miles (Maritime Zones Act, 1976).
• Largest state by area: Rajasthan. Smallest: Goa. Largest by population: Uttar Pradesh. Largest Union Territory by area: Ladakh.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Which article describes India as a Union of States? Answer: Article 1
2. Which article empowers Parliament to form new states? Answer: Article 3
3. Who said that India is a Union because no state has the right to secede? Answer: Dr B.R. Ambedkar
4. The States Reorganisation Commission was formed in: Answer: 1953
5. Which was the first linguistic state of India? Answer: Andhra State
6. Which state became the 29th state in 2014? Answer: Telangana
7. How many Union Territories are there in India? Answer: 8
8. Which amendment made Sikkim a state? Answer: 36th Amendment (1975)
9. Which case decided that cession of territory needs a constitutional amendment? Answer: Berubari Union case
10. Article 370 was abrogated on: Answer: 5 August 2019

See the earlier chapter on Citizenship in India, and practise with our previous year question papers. For other subjects, explore the SSC study notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which part of the Constitution deals with the Union and its territory?

Part I of the Constitution (Articles 1 to 4) deals with the Union and its territory. Article 1 names India, Article 2 admits or establishes new states, Article 3 deals with formation of new states and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of states, and Article 4 supplements Articles 2 and 3.

What does Article 1 say?

Article 1 says "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States." It also says that the territory of India shall comprise the territories of the States, the Union Territories and such other territories as may be acquired.

Why is India called a "Union of States" and not a "Federation of States"?

Dr B.R. Ambedkar explained that the Indian federation is not the result of an agreement among the states, so no state has the right to secede from it. The states are also not indestructible, since Parliament can change their boundaries and names.

What does Article 2 provide?

Article 2 empowers Parliament to admit into the Union, or establish, new states on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit. It applies to states that are not part of India at the time (for example, Sikkim was admitted in 1975).

What does Article 3 provide?

Article 3 empowers Parliament to form a new state by separating territory from a state, increase or diminish the area of a state, alter its boundaries and alter its name. A bill for this can be introduced in Parliament only with the prior recommendation of the President, who refers it to the state legislature for its views, but the views are not binding.

Is a constitutional amendment needed to form a new state?

No. Under Article 4, laws made under Articles 2 and 3 are not considered constitutional amendments under Article 368. They can be passed by a simple majority in Parliament.

What is the Berubari Union case?

In the Berubari Union case (1960), the Supreme Court held that Parliament cannot cede Indian territory to a foreign country under Article 3 and that a constitutional amendment under Article 368 is needed. The 9th Amendment (1960) and later the 100th Amendment (2015) for the India-Bangladesh land boundary agreement were passed for this purpose.

Which commission recommended the linguistic reorganisation of states?

The States Reorganisation Commission (Fazl Ali Commission) of 1953, with Fazl Ali as chairman and K.M. Panikkar and H.N. Kunzru as members, recommended reorganisation on a linguistic basis. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 created 14 states and 6 Union Territories from 1 November 1956.

Which committees were set up before the Fazl Ali Commission?

The Dhar Commission (1948) rejected linguistic reorganisation and suggested administrative convenience. The JVP Committee (December 1948: Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramayya) also advised against it for the time being.

Which was the first state created on a linguistic basis?

Andhra State was formed on 1 October 1953 out of the Telugu-speaking areas of the Madras State, after the death of Potti Sriramulu following a fast for a separate state.

How many states and Union Territories are there in India now?

India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories. The Union Territories are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

Which is the newest state of India?

Telangana is the youngest state. It was formed on 2 June 2014 as the 29th state at that time by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. After Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory in 2019, India has 28 states.

What happened to Jammu and Kashmir in 2019?

Article 370 was abrogated on 5 August 2019, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 divided the state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without a legislature), effective 31 October 2019.

Which Union Territories have their own legislature?

Delhi (National Capital Territory under Articles 239AA and 239AB, 69th Amendment 1991), Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir have their own legislative assemblies.

Which states were created in the year 2000?

Chhattisgarh (1 November 2000, 26th state), Uttarakhand (9 November 2000, 27th state) and Jharkhand (15 November 2000, 28th state) were created from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively.

What are the common questions on this topic in SSC exams?

The articles 1 to 4, the Berubari case, commissions on reorganisation, the order and year of formation of states, the list of Union Territories, the special status of Article 370 and 371 and the merger of French and Portuguese territories are the common questions. The tables here cover them all.