ABSTRACT
The single most important element of the natural environment that has determined the names of the subnational units of India is none other than a river. Culture is a crucible that carries a mix of ethnic background, language, religion and value-system of the people and much more. All this is reflected in 24 out of the 40 names of the subnational units of India. The country’s Constitution affirms that India is a union of states. It informs that: ‘The territory of India shall comprise the territories of the States, the Union territories specified in the First Schedule and such other territories as may be acquired’. A bill for the name of a state or union territory, or, for that matter, for a change in the name, needs to be passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
