How is a new state formed?
- indiastatestories
- Jan 22
- 1 min read
Updated: Jan 26
States are not sovereign in India.
None of the Indian states were originally sovereign entities; they did not exist as independent units before joining the Indian Union. Part A states (Governors' provinces) were administered centrally until 1937, with limited devolution starting from 1919. Under the 1935 Act, certain powers were assigned to provinces, but the Governors retained significant authority under the control of the Governor-General. Chief Commissioners' provinces were recognized as federal units but were still governed centrally. Former princely states claimed some sovereignty but were under British paramountcy, limiting their control over both external and internal matters. The rulers of these princely states surrendered any remaining sovereignty to India before the Constitution was established.
Unlike the American colonies or Swiss Cantons, no Indian state was independent before forming a federal union. The Indian Constituent Assembly was free to create a constitution that suited India, with no binding commitments from previous structures. The Indian Parliament has exclusive power to admit new states, change state boundaries, or adjust state areas, with states having only the right to express their views. Territorial changes do not require constitutional amendments, making adjustments flexible and centralized. Unlike the U.S., where both the Union and individual states are considered indestructible, in India, only the Union is indestructible, and individual states can be altered or redefined.
Relevant figures. In order: Jawaharlal Nehru, V.P. Menon, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Lord Mountbatten, and Cyril Radcliffe.
(Source: SRC Report 1955)
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