India begins not with a right or a duty, but with a map. Articles 1 to 4 name the Union, define its territory, and hand Parliament the power to create new States or redraw their boundaries. From the 1956 reorganisation to the 2019 J&K reorganisation, these four articles have redrawn the country’s political geography.
Article 1: (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. Article 2: Parliament may by law admit into the Union, or establish, new States on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit. Article 3: Parliament may by law — (a) form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States or parts of States or by uniting any territory to a part of any State; (b) increase the area of any State; (c) diminish the area of any State; (d) alter the boundaries of any State; (e) alter the name of any State. Article 4: Laws made under Articles 2 and 3 are not to be deemed amendments of this Constitution for the purposes of Article 368.
Article 1: The Union and Its Territory
- India, that is BharatThe Union is named — India, that is Bharat — in the very first article.
- Union of StatesArticle 1 says India ‘shall be a Union of States’ — not a federation of states.
- TerritoryThe territory comprises the States, the Union territories in the First Schedule, and any other territories acquired.
- So whatThe phrase ‘Union of States’ is deliberate — the Union is indestructible, its units are not.
Articles 2-4: Reshaping the Map
- Art 2Parliament may by law admit new States or establish them, on such terms as it thinks fit.
- Art 3Parliament may by law form new States, and increase, diminish, alter boundaries or rename existing States.
- Art 4Laws under Articles 2-3 are not amendments for Article 368 — they pass by ordinary majority.
- SafeguardsAn Art 3 bill needs a Presidential recommendation, and must be referred to the concerned State legislature for its views.
- So whatThe procedure is ordinary legislation, not constitutional amendment — the classic exam distinction.
The History of Reshaping
- 1956The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 redrew India along linguistic lines under Article 3.
- Sikkim 1975Sikkim was admitted through the 36th Amendment after an associate-state phase under the 35th.
- 2019The J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 bifurcated Jammu & Kashmir under Article 3.
- So whatEvery reorganisation you read about — Telangana, J&K, Sikkim — ran through Articles 2-3.
Work through a 5-question chain on Articles 1-4, then keep practising with a random Indian Polity question.
The Story of India’s Map
- 1947The Constituent Assembly inherited 500+ princely states and a patchwork of provinces — and had to knit them into one Union.
- Why UnionAmbedkar chose ‘Union of States’ over ‘Federation’ to stress that States cannot secede.
- First ScheduleThe First Schedule lists every State and Union territory — the Constitution’s own atlas.
- 2015 BangladeshThe 100th Amendment transferred territory to Bangladesh through a First-Schedule change under Article 3.
- So whatArticles 1-4 are how a map written in 1950 keeps absorbing history — new States, new names, new boundaries.
CDS II 2018: Sikkim’s Admission
- QuestionCDS and other competitive exams ask under which Amendment Sikkim was admitted into the Union — the 36th Amendment.
- WhyThe 35th made Sikkim an associate state; the 36th (1975) made it a full State.
- LinkSource: CDS II 2018 (see Q86).
CDS II 2016: The Bangladesh Transfer
- QuestionCDS and other competitive exams ask how Indian territory was transferred to Bangladesh in 2015 — by a Parliament law amending the First Schedule under Article 3.
- WhyThe transfer was done by legislation, not by a mere agreement between governments.
- LinkSource: CDS II 2016 (see Q120).
CDS I 2019: Powers of Parliament
- QuestionCDS and other competitive exams ask which statements about forming new States are correct — Parliament may increase or diminish the area of any State.
- WhyStatements denying these powers are wrong — Article 3(1)(b)-(c) expressly allows both.
- LinkSource: CDS I 2019 (see Q48).
CAPF 2018: Sikkim’s Associate Phase
- QuestionCAPF and other competitive exams ask how Sikkim became an Associate State — through the 35th Amendment (1974).
- WhyThe 35th Amendment created the associate-state status before full merger under the 36th.
- LinkSource: CAPF AC 2018 (see Q70).
The Map in the News
- Why it mattersStatehood demands, boundary disputes and reorganisation proposals are recurring news — all Article 3 questions.
- So whatEvery ‘new State demand’ story is really a question of whether Parliament will invoke Article 3.
- DevelopmentDemands for new States (Vidarbha, Gorkhaland) and boundary disputes are active Article 3 proposals in Parliament.
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