Overview

India is a federal republic composed of multiple levels of governance, with the Union (central government) and the states as the principal units. This federal structure is enshrined in the Constitution of India, adopted on January 26, 1950, which distributes legislative and executive powers between the Union and the states. Today, India comprises 28 states and 8 Union Territories (UTs), though these numbers have changed over time as states were reorganized and new entities carved out. While states enjoy a high degree of autonomy, especially concerning subjects listed in the State List (such as agriculture, public order, and local governance), Union Territories are administered more directly by the central government, often through appointed administrators.

The states vary tremendously in terms of geography, size, population, culture, and economic development. For instance, the state of Rajasthan, located in the northwestern part of the country, is geographically the largest, covering approximately 342,239 square kilometres. On the other hand, the smallest state by area, Goa, covers just 3,702 square kilometres. In terms of population, Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state, with over 200 million inhabitants, roughly comparable to the population of entire countries like Brazil or Pakistan, while states such as Sikkim or Mizoram have populations of well under 3 million, akin to some global city-states.

The administrative divisions of states generally include districts (around 780 in total as of the most recent data), subdivisions, tehsils or talukas, and villages. Cities and municipalities have their local bodies that manage civic services. This multi-tiered structure ensures governance and administrative functions are brought closer to the people, enabling India’s diverse communities to have representation and tailored development strategies.

Historical Evolution of Indian States

The historical evolution of Indian states is rooted in centuries of shifting political entities, from ancient kingdoms and medieval sultanates to colonial provinces and princely states under British rule. Before independence in 1947, British India was administratively divided into directly governed provinces—such as the Bombay Province, Madras Presidency, and Bengal—and over 500 princely states that were nominally autonomous but operated under British suzerainty.

Post-independence, the framers of the Indian Constitution were faced with the enormous task of integrating these diverse units into a single, cohesive nation-state. In the immediate aftermath of independence, the administrative map largely mirrored the colonial divisions. However, it quickly became evident that reorganizing states based on linguistic and cultural affinities would foster both national unity and efficient governance, ensuring that people could communicate easily with their government and have their linguistic and cultural identities recognized.