Gairsain

Subject: Geography/Polity

Context:

Uttarakhand governor has given her assent for declaration of Bhararisen (Gairsain) in Chamoli district as the summer capital of Uttarakhand 

Concept:

• The state was first carved out from Uttar Pradesh in 2000.
• Gairsain was best suited to be the capital as it lay between Kumaon and Garhwal. However, Dehradun was named the ‘temporary capital’ instead.
• Earlier, VN Dixit Commission which was set up to solve the problem had recommended that Dehradun should be made the permanent capital and rejected Gairsain as it is prone to earthquakes. The new summer capital falls under seismic zone 5, in a scale of 2 to 5 (in order of increasing vulnerability to earthquakes).
• Gairsain is also the site of the source of the Ramgangariver, tributary of ganges.
• Historically, it is believed that the Chinese traveller, Hiuen-Tsang visited Gairsain, the capital of Brahmaputra Kingdom during the 7th century.

Constitutional provisions

• Article 2 and Article 3 of the Constitution of India confer exclusive and plenary powers upon Parliament to form or establish or completely alter and destroy the identity of existing states.
• A state legislature, as per Clause (e) of Article 3 cannot even change the name of the state.
• It is within the exclusive domain of Parliament to form any state, set boundaries, and name a state in the Union