India’s Political Divisions

Introduction:
India is a union of states, is a secular, democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of
government. Almost 16 % of the world’s population lives in India.
India is the seventh largest country in the world. The country's official name, India is derived
from the Old Persian version of Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the river Indus.
India’s political Divisions refer to the smaller administrative units, comprised of various
subdivisions. There are 29 states and six Union Territories in addition to the one National Capital
Territory. The smaller local government units are governed by State Statutes and the Union
Territories are subject to the Union Parliament.
The Location of India is a peninsula with the Bay of Bengal on the east, Indian Ocean on the
south, and Arabian Sea on the west. The Himalayas form the northern boundary. China, Nepal,
and Bhutan are to the north of India. Bangladesh and Myanmar are to the east of India. Pakistan
and Afghanistan are to the Northwest. Sri Lanka is south of India.
Hence in this episode the following aspects are going to be seen:
1. Re-organisation of states
2. States of northern region
3. States of central region
4. States of southern region
5. Union territories and National Capital Territory.

1. Re-organisation of states:
The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries of India's states and
territories, organising them along linguistic lines.
Although additional changes to India's state boundaries have been made since 1956, the States
Reorganisation Act of 1956 remains the single most extensive change in state boundaries since
the independence of India in 1947.
Between 1947 and about 1950, the territories of the princely states were politically integrated
into the Indian Union. Most were merged into existing provinces; others were organised into new
provinces, such as Rajputana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Bharat, and Vindhya Pradesh, made
up of multiple princely states; a few, including Mysore, Hyderabad, Bhopal, and Bilaspur,
became separate provinces. The Government of India Act 1935 remained the constitutional law
of India pending adoption of a new Constitution.

The new Constitution of India , which came into force on 26 January 1950, made India a
democratic republic. The new republic was also declared to be a "Union of States". The
constitution of 1950 distinguished between three main types of states:
 Part A states, which were the former governors' provinces of British India, were ruled by
an elected governor and state legislature. The nine Part A states were Assam, Bihar,
Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Orissa, Punjab , Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
  The eight Part B states were former princely states or groups of princely states, governed
by a Rajpramukh, who was usually the ruler of a constituent state and an elected legislature.
The Rajpramukh was appointed by the President of India. The Part B states were Hyderabad,
Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Bharat, Mysore, Patiala and East Punjab States Union
(PEPSU), Rajasthan, Saurashtra and Travancore-Cochin.

 The ten Part C states included both the former chief commissioners' provinces and some
princely states and each was governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the President of
India. The Part C states were Ajmer, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Coorg, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh,
Kutch, Manipur, Tripura and Vindhya Pradesh.

The sole Part D state was the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which were administered by a
lieutenant governor appointed by the central government.
In 1952, the French territories of Chandan nagar and Pondicherry were included in India.
The next year, parts of Madras Presidency and the princely state of Hyderabad were joined to
form the Telugu speaking Andhra Pradesh.
There was a major change in the federal administrative set up of the country through the states
Reorganisation Commission Act in 1956. Based on the recommendations of this commission,
the boundaries were rearranged.
Initially, the Indian union was reorganised into 14 states and 6 union territories, but the processes
of reorganisation continued on several occasions.
The cumulative effect of all the processes has resulted into the present administrative structure.
India has now 29 states, six union territories and one National Capital Territory. All of them are
further subdivided into more than 593 districts.
Out of these states, 8 major states constituents nearly 63.4% of country’s total area and 5
medium sized states share another 19 % while 11% is shared by remaining 12 small sized states,
6 union territories and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Rajasthan is the largest state holding 10.41% of the total area of the country. It is followed by
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The smallest state is Goa preceded by Sikkim, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and
Meghalaya.
Among the union territories Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the largest, followed by Puducherry
while Lakshadweep is the smallest.

2. States of northern region:

The Location of the northern region is Lies in the upper part of India in the foothills of
Himalayas.
North India is the area encompassing India's states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan.
Jammu and Kashmir: The northernmost state of India is the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kashmir valley is described as the paradise on earth. It covers an area of 2, 22,236 Sq km. The
capital of Jammu and Kashmir is Srinagar. It is divided in to 59 districts. The principal languages
are Urdu, Dogri, Kashmiri, Pahari, Panjabi, Ladakhi, Balti, Gojri and Dadri.
Rajasthan: The process of uniting scattered states commenced since 1948. It covers an area of
3, 42,239 Sq km. The principal languages are Hindi and Rajasthani. The capital of Rajasthan is
Jaipur. It is divided in to 241 districts.

Punjab: It covers an area of 50,362 Sq km. The principal language is Punjabi. Eight princely
states of East Punjab were grouped together to form a single state called Patiala and the East
Punjab states union with Patiala as its capital. This state was merged with Punjab in 1956. Later
1966, Haryana was carved out of Punjab and during the same year the erstwhile capital of Punjab
was shifted from Shimla to Chandigarh. It is divided in to 72 districts.

Himachal Pradesh: The state of Himachal Pradesh is situated in the heart of the Western
Himalaya. It is identified as “Dev Bhumi” and is believed to be the abode of gods and goddesses.
Comprising of 30 former hill states, the territory came into being on 15 th April 1948. On 25th
January 1971, Himachal Pradesh was made a full-fledged state. It covers an area of 55,673 Sq
km. The capital of Himachal Pradesh is Shimla. It is divided in to 109 districts. The principal
languages are Hindi and Pahari.

Haryana: under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, the state of Haryana was carved out on 1 st
November 1966. It covers the Hindi speaking parts of old Punjab. It covers an area of 44,212 Sq
km. The capital of Haryana is Chandigarh. It is divided in to 67 districts. The principal language
is Hindi. Haryana has a proud history going back to the Vedic age. The state was the home of the
legendary Bharata dynasty, which has given the name Bharat to India.

3. States of central region:

Central India is made up of mostly princely states and was at one time a political unit of British
India. Central India consists of the states of Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand,
Orissa, Assam, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh.

Arunachal Pradesh: In January 1972, the North East Frontier Agency was created as a union
territory and was renamed as Arunachal Pradesh. On 20 th February 1987 it became the 24th state
of the Indian union. It covers an area of 83,743Sq km. The capital of Arunachal Pradesh is
Itanagar. It is divided in to 16 districts. The principal languages are Hindi and Tani.

West Bengal: After partition and independence, West Bengal was formed. As per
recommendation of the states Reorganization Act, 1956, some Bengali speaking areas of a
neighboring state were merged with West Bengal. It covers an area of 88,752 Sq km. The capital
of West Bengal is Kolkata. It is divided in to 18 districts. The principal language is Bengali.

Bihar: Before 12 December 1911, it formed a part of Bengal Presidency. In 1936, Bihar was
bifurcated from Orissa. The size got reduced when Jharkhand was sliced out in 2000. It covers an
area of 94,163 Sq km. The capital of Bihar is Patna. It is divided in to 38 districts. The principal
language is Hindi. Bihar finds mention in the Vedas, Puranas, Epics etc., and was the main scene
of activities of Buddha and 24 Jain Tirthankars. Bihar has a number of rivers, the most important
of which is the Ganga.
Jharkhand: Jharkhand was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000 as
28th state of the Indian union. Jharkhand covers an area of 74,677 Sq km. The capital of
Jharkhand is Ranchi, a beautiful city located at 620 meters above sea level. The principal
language is Hindi. Jharkhand is a state of India has twenty-four administrative districts. At the
time of formation, Jharkhand state had 18 districts. Later, six more districts were carved out by
reorganizing these districts. The 23rd and 24th districts are Khunti and Ramgarh came into
existence on September 12, 2007.

Orissa: On 1st January 1948, Orissa came under the government of India. By the states merger
together, 1949, 25 princely states in and around Orissa merged together. It covers an area of
1,55,707 Sq km. The capital of Orissa is Bhubaneswar. It is divided in to 30 districts. The
principal language is Oriya.

Assam: The sentinel of the northeastern India, Assam is the most strategically situated state. It
covers an area of 78,438 Sq km. The capital of Assam is Dispur. It is divided in to 23 districts.
The principal language is Assamese. The word ‘Assam’ as interpreted by some scholar is derived
from the Sanskrit word Asoma meaning peerless or unparalleled. Assam has a rich legacy of
culture and civilization.

Gujarat: Bombay Re-organization Act, 1960 led to the creation of Gujarat state. It covers
northern and western portion s of the Bombay state. It covers an area of 1, 96,024 Sq km. The
capital of Gujarat is Gandhi Nagar. It is divided in to 25 districts. The principal language is
Gujarti.

Chhattisgarh: It is carved out of Madhya Pradesh on 1 st November 2000 as the 26th state of the
Indian union. Chhattisgarh is the 10th-largest state in India with an area of 52,199 sq mi. Raipur
is the capital of the Chhattisgarh state. Chhattisgarh has 16 districts. The principal language is
Hindi. In ancient times the region was known as Dakshin-Kausal.
Madhya Pradesh: It was formed on 1st November 1956 under the state reorganization act, 1956.
It covers an area of 3, 08,000Sq km. The capital of Madhya Pradesh is Bhopal. It is divided in to
45 districts. The principal language is Hindi. Madhya Pradesh is the second largest Indian state.
Geographically it occupies a pivotal position in the country.

Manipur: On 15th October 1949, the administration was taken over by the government of India
under a merger agreement. Later, it attained a full-fledged statehood on 21 st January 1972. It
covers an area of 22,327Sq km. The capital of Manipur is Imphal. It is divided in to 9 districts.
The principal language is Manipuri.

Meghalaya: Meghalaya was carved out of Assam on 2 nd April 1970. It became a full-fledged
state on 21st January 1972. It covers an area of 22,429 Sq km. The capital of Meghalaya is
Shillong. It is divided in to 7 districts. The principal languages are Khasi, Garo and English. The
Khasi hills and Jaintia Hills, which form the central and eastern part of Meghalaya.
Mizoram: Since 21st January 1972, it was a union territory. Later, by the constitution’s 53 rd
Amendment and the state Mizoram Act, July 1986, it became a state on 20 th February 1987. It
covers an area of 21,081Sq km. The capital of Mizoram is Aizwal. It is divided in to 8 districts.
The principal languages are Mizo and English.

Nagaland: It includes former Naga Hills districts of Assam and former Tuensang Frontier
division of NEF A. It attained statehood on 1 st December 1963. It covers an area of 16,579 Sq
km. The capital of Nagaland is Kohima. It is divided in to 11 districts. The principal languages
are Chang, Chakhesang, Konyak, and Sema. Mount Saramati is the highest peak in Nagaland
with a height of 3,840 meters, and its range forms a natural barrier between Nagaland and
Mynamar.

Sikkim: By the 36th constitution Amendment Act, 1974 it got associated with Indian union. By
38th Amendment Act, 1975, it became the 22nd state of the union. It covers an area of 7,096 Sq
km. The capital of Sikkim is Gangtok. It is divided in to 4 districts. The principal languages are
Nepali, lepcha, Bhutia and Limbu.

Tripura: On 1st November 1957, Tripura was declared as union territory. On 21 st January 1972,
this territory attained the status of a full- fledged state. It covers an area of 10,49, 169 Sq km.
The capital of Tripura is Agartala. It is divided in to 4 districts. The principal languages are
Bengali and Kokborok.

Maharashtra: The state of Bombay was formed by merging Kutch and Saurashtra, Marathi
speaking areas and vidarbha. On 1st may 1960, Gujarti speaking areas were separated and rest
was renamed as Maharashtra. It covers an area of 3,07,713 Sq km. The capital of Maharashtra is
Mumbai. It is divided in to 35 districts. The principal language is Marati.

Uttaranchal: The new State Uttaranchal, formerly a part of Uttar Pradesh was formed on
November 9th, 2000 as the 27th state of the Indian Union. Uttaranchal covers an area of 20,682
Sq km. The capital of Uttaranchal is Dehradun. It is divided in to 13 districts. The principal
languages are Hindi, Garhwali and Kumaoni. It is often called the Land of the Gods that means
Dev Bhoomi because of its various holy places and shrines.
Uttar Pradesh: The provinces of Agra and oudh were joined together to form united Provinces.
In 1950 it was renamed as Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh covers an area of 2, 40,928 Sq km. The
capital of Uttar Pradesh is Lucknow. It is divided in to72 districts. The principal languages are
Hindi and Urdu.

4. States of Southern region:

South India lies in the peninsular Deccan Plateau and is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the west,
the Indian Ocean in the south and the Bay of Bengal in the east. The geography of the region is
diverse, encompassing two mountain ranges, the Western and Eastern Ghats, and a plateau
heartland. The Godavari, Krishna, Tungabhadra and Kaveri rivers are important non-perennial
sources of water.
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa
and Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka: Mysore was carved out in 1956 to unite the Kannada speaking people distributed in
5 states. In 1973 the state was renamed as Karnataka. It covers an area of 1, 91,791 Sq km. The
capital of Karnataka is Bangalore. It is divided in to 30 districts. The principal language is
Kannada. Karnataka has a recorded history of more than 2,000 years. Karnataka “one state many
worlds” is becoming a Hub of tourist attraction of South India. Karnataka has a blend of heritage
places, thick dense forests and holy places.

Andhra Pradesh: It was constituted as a separate state on 1 st October 1953, covering the Telugu
speaking areas of Madras presidency. Following states re-organization Act, 1956, Hyderabad
state and Andhra state merged together to form Andhra Pradesh on 1 st November 1956. It covers
an area of 2, 75,069 Sq km. The capital of Andhra Pradesh is Hyderabad. It is divided in to 23
districts. The principal languages are Telugu and Urdu. Andhra Pradesh is historically called the
Rice Bowl of India.
Kerala: It was created under the states reorganization Act 1956. It covers an area of 38,863 Sq
km. The capital of Kerala is Thiruvananthapuram. It is divided in to 14 districts. The principal
language is Malayalam.
Goa: Portuguese rule ended on 19th December 1961 and consequently it was regarded as a union
territory together with Daman and Diu. Goa was conferred statehood on 30 th May 1987. It covers
an area of 3,702 Sq km. The capital of Goa is Panaji. It is divided in to 14 districts. The principal
languages are Konkani and Marathi.
Tamil Nadu: In 1956, the state of Madras was carved out. In August 1968, it was renamed as
Tamil Nadu. It covers an area of 1, 30,058 Sq km. The capital of Tamil Nadu is Chennai. It is
divided in to 30 districts. The principal language is Tamil.
5. Union territories and National Capital Territory:
A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the federal framework of
governance. Unlike the states of India, which have their own elected governments, union
territories are ruled directly by the federal government; the President of India appoints an
Administrator or Lieutenant-Governor for each territory.

As of 2009, there are seven union territories. Delhi, the capital of India, is also a Union territory.
Delhi and Pondicherry have been given partial statehood. Delhi is redefined as National Capital
Territory. Delhi and Pondicherry have their own elected legislative assemblies and the executive
councils of ministers, but their powers are limited; certain legislation must be reserved for the
"consideration and assent" of the President of India.
The current union territories of India are:
 Andaman and Nicobar Islands
 Chandigarh
 Dadra and Nagar Haveli
  Daman and Diu
 Lakshadweep
 Pondicherry
 National Capital Territory of Delhi

Andaman and Nicobar Islands: The modern history of these islands begins with the occupation
by the East India Company in 1789. The Japanese forces occupied the islands in 1942, and in
1945 the British reoccupied it. It got of union territory since independence of the country. It
covers an area of 8,249 Sq km. The capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Port Blair. It is
divided in to 2 districts. The principal languages are Tamil, Hindi, Bengali, Nicobarese,
Malayalam and Telugu.

Chandigarh: On 1st November 1966, it was reorganized as a union territory. It functions as joint
capital of both Punjab and Haryana states. It covers an area of 114 Sq km. The capital of
Chandigarh is itself. The principal languages are Hindi and Punjabi.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli: Formerly a Portuguese territory, it was liberated in August 1954. It
was merged with the Indian union on 11 th August 1961. It covers an area of 491 Sq km. The
capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli is Silvassa. The principal languages are Hindi and Gujarati.

Daman and Diu : Former Portuguese colonies of Daman and Diu were made integral parts of
India in 1961. It covers an area of 112 Sq km. The capital of Daman and Diu is Daman. It is
divided in to 2 districts. The principal language is Gujarati.

Lakshadweep: Laccadives, Minicoy and Amindivi group islands became union territory in
1956. These were renamed as Lakshadweep in November 1973. It covers an area of 32 Sq km.
The capital of Lakshadweep is Kavaratti. The principal language is Malayalam.

Pondicherry: Pondicherry, the capital of the territory was once the original headquarters of the
French in India. It was under the French rule for 138 years and merged with the Indian union on
1st November 1954. Formerly a French colony, it compromises of Pondicherry, Karaaikal, Mahe
and Yanam. It became a union territory in 1962. It covers an area of 479 Sq km. The capital of
Pondicherry is itself. It is divided in to 4 districts. The principal languages are Malayalam,
Tamil, Telugu, French and English.
National Capital Territory of Delhi : Delhi finds prominent reference right from the times of
the epic Mahabharata. In 1911, Delhi became the centre of all activities after the capital was
shifted from Kolkata. It was made a union Territory in 1956. With the 69 th amendment of the
constitution and enactment of the National Capital Territory Act, 1991, it got a Legislative
assembly. It covers an area of 1, 483 Sq km. The capital of Delhi is itself. It is divided in to 9
districts. The principal languages are Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.

Conclusion: administrative structures of the country in the form of political boundaries depict
the change and continuity. The subcontinent of India has been ruled by many different ethnic
groups throughout its history, each imposing their own administrative divisions on the region.