Europa Publications - The Territories and States of India 2016

3rd edition published 2016

by Routledge

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and by Routledge

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2016 Routledge

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Editor: Neil Higgins

Contributing Editor: Gareth Wyn Jones for Globeworm Ltd

Statistics Research: Philip McIntyre (Senior Editor), Mohd Khalid Ansari (Senior Research and

Training Associate)

Directory Research: Atul Udaipuria

First published 2002

ISBN: 978-1-85743-812-3 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-31553-695-8 (ebk)

Typeset in Times New Roman by Taylor & Francis Books

It has been argued that federation, as a concept of government, has found its most necessary and effective expression in the modern Republic of India. A country so physically immense, with such stark internal contrasts in terms of geography, climate, language, ethnicity, culture, history, religion and economy, but with a definite sense of overall unity, would indeed appear to be suited to the form. This third edition of T HE T ERRITORIES AND S TATES OF I NDIA aims to provide the reader with an insight into India as a federation, an aspect that cannot be underestimated in importance. Since the publication of the first edition of this book in 2002, India has increasingly played a more high-profile role in international affairs (both political and economic). As India moves progressively towards becoming the worlds most populous country, while, at the same time, consolidating its position as an economic superpower, the issues arising from federalism will inevitably prove more complex and challenging.

The numerous reorganizations of the constituent parts of the Union, combined with the changing balance of power between the central Government and the administrations in those units, have meant that the federation remains in a process of evolution. In 2014 Telangana, Indias 29th state, was formally established through the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, other regional statehood movements continued in various parts of the country, not least in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam. The evolutionary nature of the Indian federation is specifically addressed in an essay by Dr David Taylor, in comprises an Index of the states and territories, and their alternative and historic names.

It is hoped that this book will furnish the reader with an understanding of each constituent part of contemporary India, of the relationship between them, and of the relationship with the Centre: without this understanding any appreciation of the affairs of this vast country must be considered incomplete.

December 2015

The editors gratefully acknowledge the interest, co-operation and advice of all who have contributed to this volume. We are indebted to a number of organizations and individuals within and outwith India. In particular we would like to thank Eugene Fleury for the maps used in this volume, and Gareth Wyn Jones for the surveys.

Dr David Taylor, who wrote one of the introductory articles, taught for many years at the University of Londons School of Oriental and African Studies, specializing in South Asian politics. From 2002 to 2008 he was Vice Provost of the Aga Khan University in Karachi; currently, he is Director of the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations at the same institution, and a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.

Dr Wilfried Swenden, author of the second introductory article, is a Senior Politics Lecturer and Co-Director of the Centre for South Asian Studies in the School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh. He has been a visiting scholar at the Centre for European Studies (Harvard) and the Political Science Department at Delhi University in India.

Figures in this book are not quoted in billions (1,000 million or, sometimes, 1,000,000 million), crores (10 million) or lakhs (100 thousand), the latter two being extensively used in India. Only millions (m.) are used, when necessary.

Note: The maps used in this book are not officially approved by the Survey of India.

Dr D AVID T AYLOR

Dr W ILFRIED S WENDEN

D AVID T AYLOR

India today can claim to be the worlds largest federation. Since shortly after independence in 1947 it has been divided into a number of states (currently numbering 29), each with its own legislative assembly and ministry. There are in addition six union territories, which owe their special status to history or geography, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi, created in 1991, which was formerly a union territory. Each state is proud of its language and traditions, and competes with its neighbours in economic development and social welfare. Yet in no other federal system does the central Government have as much reserve power as in India, where the President of the Union, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, can dismiss an elected state government and where the Parliament holds the power to alter state boundaries. Tensions and conflict between the central Government (the Centre) and state governments have been a recurrent feature of Indian politics. Especially in the regions away from the Hindi-speaking north, regional discord can be translated into demands for greater freedom from central control in the name of language and historical tradition. In some cases, these have been dynamic struggles with beneficial results for economic and social change, but in others they have had the opposite effect, with important development schemes delayed, or with damaging hostility to people from other parts of the country. As India moves steadily towards becoming the worlds most populous country, its future prospects will depend critically on the ability to resolve the tensions of federalism, to utilize its resources to the full, and to find ways to bring all regions into the mainstream of development.