Proposed states in India: implementation options and priorities

Changes in the administrative-territorial division of independent India match together with the evolution of the country’s socioeconomic development model, fundamental changes in the structure and volume of the economy, and an increase in the population with a complex national-ethnic and religious composition. After gaining independence, the Government of India adopted a federal system, requiring a balance of interests of peoples living in different regions. Therefore, the Constitution gives wide powers to the central authorities in the field of reorganization of the states, and the procedures associated with their solution have been simplified. The demand for such management tools is evidenced by the large number of proposed (aspirant) states and union territories (more than 40 in 2024). Proposed states are associated with objective reasons and are supported by arguments put forward by social movements and parties. The article presents the results of a study that attempted to identify the most likely new states in India. In India, whose government plans to take third place in the world in terms of economic potential by 2030, work is underway to improve the administrative-territorial division in order to accelerate socioeconomic progress and strengthen the territorial integration of the country, which increases the importance and need for multidimensional comprehensive regional studies. The compiled map of proposed administrative-territorial division of India can serve as a basis for further research of the trends in the evolution of the administrative-territorial division and can be useful in conducting other studies of regional development problems in India.

India, administrative divisions, federalism, India states, union territories of India, administrative–territorial divisions of India