INDIAN FEDERATION

TOPIC: Polity

Context- Prakash Javadekar writes: As the Constitution says, India is a Union of states. But it is a Union that is indestructible.

Concept-

The Union and its Territory:

Part I of Indian Constitution is titled The Union and its Territory. It includes articles from 1- 4.
ARTICLE 1 : NAME AND TERRITORY OF THE UNION
- (1) India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.
- (2)The States and the territories thereof shall be as specified in the First Schedule.
- (3) The territory of India shall comprise –
  - (a) the territories of the States;
  - (b) the Union territories specified in the First Schedule; and
  - (c) such other territories as may be acquired.
- No where under Part I, it is mentioned that India is a federal state. It rather uses the phrase “Union of States”.
- India as a union is indestructible in order to protect the sovereignty, integrity and unity. Units or states within the union cannot secede as there is no provision for it under the Constitution.
- In order to do so, it must pass a Constitutional Amendment under Article 368. Thus proving how the union is indestructible.