How Are States Formed in India?

In India, states are formed through a process empowered entirely by the Indian Parliament. The Constitution of India grants the central Parliament the exclusive power to create new states, alter the boundaries of existing states, or change their names. This procedure is primarily detailed in Article 3 of the Constitution.

Unlike federations like the USA, India is described as an "indestructible union of destructible states." This means the central government can unilaterally reorganize the states; the states themselves do not have the power to block these changes. The formation of a new state generally requires a bill to be passed in Parliament by a simple majority.

This process allows for the creation of new states to meet regional aspirations, administrative convenience, or linguistic and cultural demands, as seen in the formation of states like Telangana, Jharkhand, and others.