Art. 1 Part I: Union and its Territory

Name and Territory of the Union

Exact text — Constitution of India

(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.

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

The Constitution's opening line does a lot of work in a few words. Calling India a 'Union' rather than a 'Federation' was deliberate — Dr. Ambedkar explained this word choice was meant to signal that India is indestructible even though its constituent states are not: the Union isn't the product of an agreement between pre-existing sovereign states (like the US), and no state has a right to secede. Clause (2) points to the First Schedule for the actual list of states and territories, and clause (3) defines India's territory broadly enough to include future acquisitions.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

Every time a state's boundaries are redrawn, a new state is carved out (like Telangana in 2014), or a Union Territory's status changes, it's this Article's framework (combined with Article 3's mechanism) that makes it possible — and the 'Union, not federation' character explains why Parliament has more centralising power over states than in some other federal countries.

Landmark Cases

How courts have interpreted this Article

In Re: Berubari UnionAIR 1960 SC 845 — Held that ceding Indian territory to a foreign country requires a constitutional amendment under Article 368, since it changes India's territory as defined here — an ordinary Article 3 law isn't enough for that specific situation. Verify this case

Read alongside this one

Art. 2 — Admission or Establishment of New States Art. 3 — Formation of New States

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 1

Why 'Union of States' instead of 'Federation'?

Dr. Ambedkar explained this choice was deliberate: India is indestructible, but its constituent states are not — a federation implies states came together by choice and could similarly leave, which isn't the constitutional design here.

Does 'Bharat' have equal legal status to 'India' as a name?

Yes — the Constitution itself declares both names in the same sentence, and both are used interchangeably in official contexts.

← BackPart I Overview Next →Article 2: Admission or Establishment of New States

The text above reproduces Article 1 of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.