Bare ActOfficial Text of Article 1
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.
Article 1 answers two basic questions: what is our country called, and what land belongs to it?
The name: our country has two official names, India and Bharat. Both are equally correct. The English text says "India, that is Bharat" and the Hindi text says "भारत, अर्थात् इंडिया".
A "Union" of States: India is not a club that States joined by signing a deal, so no State can decide to walk out. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar told the Constituent Assembly that the word "Union" was chosen on purpose to show exactly this: the States have no right to break away.
The land: the territory of India has three pieces: (a) the States, (b) the Union Territories that the Centre runs directly, and (c) any new land India may acquire in future. The full list of States and Union Territories is kept in the First Schedule of the Constitution.
🏠 Everyday Analogy
Think of one person with two names: "Rahul" on his school ID and "Munna" at home. Same boy, two names. Now picture a big joint-family house. Each State is a room run by its own family member, the Union Territories are rooms the grandparents (the Centre) look after directly, and if the family buys the plot next door, that becomes part of the home too. But no room can declare itself a separate house.
🇮🇳 Real Indian Example
Goa was ruled by Portugal until December 1961. After India took it back, Goa became "acquired territory" under Article 1(3)(c) and was made a Union Territory by the 12th Amendment (1962). In 1987 it became a full State. Puducherry (from France) and Dadra & Nagar Haveli (from Portugal) also joined India's territory this way.
Quick RevisionKey Points to Remember
- India has two official names: India and Bharat.
- India is a "Union of States", so no State can secede (break away).
- "Union of India" means only the States. "Territory of India" is bigger: States + Union Territories + any acquired territory.
- The First Schedule lists every State and Union Territory. Today India has 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
- The Constituent Assembly adopted Article 1 on 18 September 1949, after a debate on including the name "Bharat".
UPSC · State PSC · JudiciaryExam Corner
- "Union" not "Federation": Ambedkar gave two reasons: the Indian federation is not the result of an agreement among States (unlike the USA), and States have no right to secede.
- Union vs Territory: the "Union of India" (States only) is a part of the wider "Territory of India".
- Giving away land needs an amendment: in the Berubari Union reference (1960) the Supreme Court said ceding Indian territory to a foreign country needs a constitutional amendment under Article 368. This led to the 9th Amendment (1960); the 100th Amendment (2015) did the same for the India-Bangladesh land boundary deal.
- Current count: 28 States and 8 UTs, after Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu were merged into one UT in January 2020.
Practice MCQTest Yourself: Article 1
How does Article 1 describe India?
Doubts ClearedFrequently Asked Questions
Is the official name of our country India or Bharat?
Both. Article 1 says "India, that is Bharat", so India and Bharat are equally official names of the same country.
Can a State leave the Indian Union?
No. India is a "Union of States", and the Constitution gives no State a right to secede. Parliament can change a State's borders under Article 3, but a State cannot walk out on its own.
What is the difference between the "Union of India" and the "Territory of India"?
The Union of India includes only the States. The Territory of India is wider: it includes the States, the Union Territories and any territory India acquires.