Concept:The term used for the states in the Draft Constitution of India was “Union of States”, chosen to stress the indivisible and unified nature of the Indian nation.
Explanation:Dr. B.R. Ambedkar presented the Draft Constitution to the Constituent Assembly on 4th November, 1948.
In this draft, the states were referred to as a “Union of States”, not as a “Federation of States” or any other term.
The word “Union” was deliberately selected to show that the Indian federation is not based on an agreement among independent states.
Therefore, no state has the right to secede from the Union.
This choice emphasized the integrity and indivisibility of India, especially in the post-Partition context.
Later, Article 1 of the Constitution stated: “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.”
The term also reflects the centralised nature of the Indian polity, where the Centre has significant powers over the states.
The Drafting Committee, under Dr. Ambedkar, wanted to avoid any implication of a loose confederation.
Thus, “Union of States” was the official term used in the Draft Constitution.
Answer:Union of States